In this post I explain what types of scholarships exist to study in the United States if you are from Guatemala, how to apply for a university scholarship and how to study in the United States in general with a scholarship.
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How to apply for a University Scholarship in the United States
In most cases, when applying for a scholarship, you must first have been accepted at the institution you wish to attend. However, there are some scholarships for which you must first obtain the scholarship and then complete the application process, as is the case with the FulBright Scholarship for postgraduate studies.
Below are the most common requirements for obtaining scholarships to study in the United States:
- English language accreditation certificate: Usually TOEFL or IELTS are used. The minimum accepted exam score is determined by the institution that requests it. You can take these exams in any country.
- Degree or certificate of studies: You must present the degree from the previous degree if you are applying for a postgraduate degree. If you are applying to an institution for a bachelor’s degree, you must submit the high school certificate or equivalent.
- Acceptance letter from the institution you wish to study at: The process to obtain this letter is slightly different for each institution. You should review the acceptance requirements for the academic degree you wish to study and apply for admission to that institution. To enter a bachelor’s degree, you will be asked to take the SAT exam, which is a test of written and mathematical comprehension in English. Once accepted, you will receive the acceptance letter for both bachelor’s and graduate studies.
- Motivation letter: It is very common for you to be asked to write a letter explaining your reasons for obtaining the scholarship, in which you must state the reasons why you are a good candidate.
- Project to be developed: In some cases, but not always, you are asked to have a project idea explained in an essay. Normally, this applies to artistic stays, research and doctorates.
- Letter(s) of recommendation: This should be issued by someone who knows you in your field of study, such as a professor or project director. It can be one or more letters.
Take into account
These are the basic requirements. There may be more specific requirements depending on each institution.
What types of scholarships are there for studying abroad?
The main types of scholarships to study in the United States are:
- Academic exchange
- Scholarships
- Postgraduate scholarships
Academic exchange scholarships
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student, you can study for a semester on an exchange in another country. I suggest you ask the academic exchange officer at your university about what options they have. They often have scholarships available.
Likewise, the United States Embassy has a call for “Global UGRAD” scholarships, in which they offer a semester-long academic exchange program to Guatemalan students.
The scholarship covers the cost of the following things: visa, round-trip plane ticket, 100% of university tuition and food and lodging expenses. You can apply for it if you meet the following requirements:
- Being a Guatemalan citizen and living in Guatemala
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be enrolled and studying at a university in Guatemala full time
- Have a minimum average of 85/100, which is verified with the university transcript
- Accredit the TOEFL online with at least 50 points
- Demonstrate leadership experience through academic work, community involvement, and extracurricular activities
- Be eligible to obtain a J-1 visa
- Students of medicine, nutrition, psychology, veterinary medicine or dentistry are not eligible.
Undergraduate University Scholarships
Undergraduate scholarships are scholarships that allow you to study for a bachelor’s degree in the United States. It seems that the offer of postgraduate scholarships is greater than that of undergraduate scholarships, but here I leave you an option to obtain a scholarship for a bachelor’s degree.
The Walton Undergraduate Scholarships allow Guatemalans to study for a bachelor’s degree in the United States at Harding University, John Brown University and the University of the Ozarks in Arkansas.
These scholarships are awarded to outstanding students who have graduated or are about to graduate from high school. The Walton Foundation, which offers the scholarship, covers all study expenses for a 4-year bachelor’s degree offered at one of these universities and the student must return to his or her country upon completion of his or her bachelor’s degree.
This is a full scholarship that covers round-trip airfare, tuition, course fees, food, on-campus housing, and $125 for other expenses.
To apply for this scholarship you must be a Guatemalan citizen, be between 17 and 21 years old, be single, have a minimum GPA of 85 in the last 3 years, be of medium or low socioeconomic level, and be fluent in English.
The countries that receive this scholarship in addition to Guatemala are: El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico and Belize.
To apply for the Walton Undergraduate Scholarships visit the official page that you will find by clicking on this button
Postgraduate scholarships
In this category we can highlight the FulBright Scholarship. This scholarship is sponsored by the Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State for foreign students, including Guatemalans. Since the program was founded in 1949, approximately 1,154 scholarships have been awarded to Guatemalan citizens.
This scholarship is aimed at Master’s studies and the call for applications opens approximately one year before the start of studies. You must first obtain this scholarship before applying for admission to a higher education institution.
Another option is the scholarship offered by the OAS to any member country, including Guatemala, to study postgraduate courses at a university in any OAS member country, including the United States, for a period of one to two years.
This type of scholarship is complementary, so it does not cover 100% of the expenses. It has a limit of 10 thousand per academic year.
How do I know if I am eligible for a FulBright Scholarship in the United States?
You must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible :
- Be a Guatemalan citizen and resident of Guatemala.
- Be a graduate of a bachelor’s or master’s degree (does not apply if you are in the process of graduation).
- Grade Point Average of at least 85/100 points or be ranked within the top 15% of your class. This must be confirmed with documents issued by the university.
- TOEFL exam with at least an intermediate score.
- Two years of work experience in a related field of study with at least 30 hours of work per week.
- Demonstrable leadership skills, motivation and adaptability.
- Committed to the development of their community by demonstrating activities in community service, volunteering or other activities.
- Candidates with little or no experience in the United States are given priority.
- Be eligible to obtain the J-1 visa.
- Be committed to returning to Guatemala for at least 2 consecutive years after completing your studies in the United States and build on your knowledge in your professional field.
- Be prepared and available to take the GRE exam to gain admission to a higher education institution.
Studies in the fields of psychology, veterinary medicine, dentistry, nursing and medicine are not eligible for this scholarship. The Fulbright scholarship for foreign students covers TOEFL, visa, travel, accommodation, university fees and an emergency medical plan.
How do I apply for a Fulbright Scholarship in the United States if I am Guatemalan?
First, research the 5 educational institutions you wish to attend and contact them in advance, but do not apply until after you have obtained the Fulbright scholarship.
Gather the necessary requirements and documents that have already been explained. In the meantime, you should be well informed about the process by attending the monthly EducationUSA sessions.
Once you meet the requirements and are well informed, you can apply for the Fulbright Scholarship through this Button:
Important
During the selection process you will have interviews, take the GRE and TOEFL exams, apply for admission to the graduate program at the chosen university and once accepted you will be guided through the travel process.
How can I apply for a scholarship to study in the United States?
First of all, you should research well in advance what course, bachelor’s or master’s degree you want to study and at which institution. Find out what scholarship options exist.
Depending on which scholarship you wish to obtain, you must decide whether you should apply for the scholarship first or vice versa, since, for example, the Fulbright scholarship is requested before applying for admission to the educational institution.
In most cases, you first apply for admission to the university. You must go to the university’s website to see the specific requirements. Typically, this involves taking the admission exam (SAT for undergraduate and GRE for graduate), TOEFL English exam, letters of recommendation, etc.
Once you have the acceptance letter, continue with the process to obtain the desired scholarship. The requirements are specific to each scholarship but go hand in hand with what is required to be accepted into the course of study.
Below I leave you some resources that will help you search for scholarships.
- Segeplan scholarships. Offers full scholarship options to study abroad for bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It is one of the main sources of scholarships in Guatemala.
- Guate Futuro is a Guatemalan foundation with credit-scholarship programs for master’s and doctoral degrees.
- Indesgua. Provides advice in Guatemala for applying for undergraduate and graduate studies.
- Carolina Scholarships. Spanish Foundation that provides postgraduate and doctoral scholarships abroad.
Don’t leave yet
And if you are already packing your bags to go on your academic adventure in the United States, I invite you to visit our website : citaconsuladosdeguatemala.com so that you can keep in mind all the procedures that you will surely need to do in the USA when looking for a job, renewing your passport or wanting to return to Guatemala.