Who doesn’t have a dream to study abroad in some of the most elite universities? But the one thing that comes as a hurdle all the way long is not the entrance exam, rather the fee concerned. In this article, you’ll learn how you can study abroad for free.

How to study abroad for Free?

Despite the fact that academic expenses are growing around the world, several of the most popular study abroad destinations continue to provide free college tuition to international students. Only public colleges offer the majority of free programs. Before your course begins, you may be requested to show your language skills and pay a modest registration cost, but this is the only amount you’ll have to pay.

Below are some of the best ways through which you can study abroad for free:

Directly enroll in a foreign university

While universities in the United States are notoriously pricey, many countries provide free or low-cost education to international students. Make a selection of five places in which you’d like to study abroad. Next, look at the websites of public universities in those nations to see if the tuition costs are within your budget. Keep in mind the following costs of living in these countries: Even though public institutions in Norway are free for overseas students, the high cost of living may make this option less appealing than others. 

Direct enrollment is a wonderful option for students who want to handle their own study (including housing) and visa arrangements without the help of a third party. Direct enrollment allows students to save money on fees levied by program providers. Direct enrollment students may feel alone, but their university’s international office will provide them with assistance while they are abroad.

Abroad volunteer for free

Who says studying abroad needs to be done in an academic setting? Without paying any school expenses, an immersive volunteer experience is an ideal way to learn valuable foreign language skills and hands-on experience. While some programs charge students to connect them with volunteer opportunities abroad, WWOOF, a worldwide organic agricultural network that matches motivated volunteers with farmers in need of extra hands, is a free choice. You’ll get free shelter and food in exchange for your labor, and if you put up the effort to learn the local language, you’ll come away with far more than calluses!

There are other low-cost or no-cost volunteer opportunities available that do not include farm labor. Global Work & Travel, for example, sends adventurous volunteers to Tanzania, while IVHQ sends volunteers all over the world! If you opt to volunteer, think about how you can make your time feel like you’re studying abroad.

Apply for scholarships and grants

If you want to study abroad without breaking the bank, you should look into grants and scholarships.

Thousands of overseas students are assisted each year by universities, charities, foundations, and government agencies with their tuition and living expenses. You will never have to repay enormous sums of money, unlike student loans. With so much financial assistance accessible, it’s worth looking into which financing opportunities are available to you. If you can’t discover what you’re looking for on the websites of the colleges that interest you, contact their admissions office.

Complete a work-study

Working while studying abroad might be difficult for international students who lack the necessary permit to work in another country. However, some programs allow you to avoid this uncomfortable issue by earning a paycheck to help offset the expense of your study abroad program. Consider enrolling in an English as a Foreign Language teacher training program or picking a location that permits you to work while studying, such as Australia or New Zealand.

Also keep in mind that, depending on the length of your stay in the EU, several nations will allow you to work part-time. If you’re staying longer than six months in the UK, for example, you can work part-time, whereas, in Spain, you can work as long as it’s in a job related to your subject of study. Our helpful resource will assist you in learning more about labour regulations in different study abroad destinations.

Choose affordable programs abroad

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of planning your own study abroad experience, you can always choose a less-priced study abroad program. Here are a handful that are substantially more affordable:

• Lorenzo de’ Medici, Florence, Italy (Approximately $5,500)
• FuBIS, Berlin, Germany (starting  at $2,000)
• Equine Summer Program, Edinburgh, Scotland (costs $4,895)
• Hutong School,China (Approximate Fees $881)
• John Cabot University Summer Program, Rome, Italy (Costing $2,830)

Earn while you study

Finding a part-time job while studying abroad can be a fantastic way to generate money, gain work experience, meet new people, and learn about the labour market in the nation you’re studying in. Although working while studying can help you cover some of the costs associated with living abroad, you must keep in mind that working part-time will not allow you to cover all of your costs.

Where to Study Abroad for Free?

While university costs in many parts of the world continue to grow, some of you may believe that acquiring a recognized degree certification, whether in your home country or abroad, is unachievable without a four- or five-figure budget or a scholarship.

This isn’t always the case, as you’ll be relieved to learn. Many nations across the world provide students with the opportunity to study abroad for free or at a very low cost. All you have to do now is figure out where to look. The next step is to figure out how it’s possible. It is feasible to study abroad for free, but there are several factors that must be considered. The factors listed below can assist students in partially or completely covering their tuition fees. We will also tell them how they may receive a good education at a low price.

Germany

Germany is known for its great university system, and all international students are welcome to study there for free after paying a yearly administration fee of less than €350. If you avoid studying in the larger cities like Munich, the country contains many cool cities where you might study abroad for free and with cheap living costs, Germany is by far the best option.

Brazil

If you can communicate in Portuguese, you may receive free education at one of Brazil’s prestigious public universities in exchange for a nominal registration fee when your term begins. You’ll have to take an exam, just like other prospective Brazilian students, and you’ll need to receive a CELPE-Bras certificate to demonstrate your Portuguese proficiency.

Greece

EU/EEA students study in Greece for free, while the rest of the world pays €1500 per year tuition. When you combine this with the fact that living prices in Greece are among the lowest in Europe, you’ve got yourself a fantastically low-cost study abroad opportunity. If you don’t speak Greek already, you’ll need to learn it.

France

Almost every public university in France charges no tuition regardless of nationality, making it one of the most popular places to study abroad. Students need to know some French and pay a small administrative fee. The most prestigious French universities, called Grandes écoles, do indeed charge tuition, so if you want to study abroad for free, stick with a public university in France.

Sweden

You can study in Sweden for free if you have an EU/EEA or Swiss passport. Other nations might expect to pay a few thousand dollars each year, while PhDs are typically free, and you are even paid! Another advantage of studying in Sweden is that all students have the option of working.

Check Out: How to improve your English language skill

How to study abroad for free from India?

Indian students have a tendency to think that any semester or studies abroad is really an expensive option. But in case you are really keen to study abroad at a comparatively low or no cost, and don’t have any issues with the various options that we are going to suggest, then you are at the right place.

Following are some key pointers for Indian students to study abroad for free:

1. While undergraduation in countries like Germany is mostly free, degree after that can be a bit expensive. Some of the options can be Graduate Assistantship, Paid-Internships etc.
2. Scholarship options includes Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships for students from India.
3. Getting a very good score on the GRE or GMAT which helps gain access to various scholarship options in other countries.
4. Bursaries: A Bursary is like a monetary award which is different from scholarships in the sense that while scholarships are merit-based, bursaries are financial-need based awards. 
5. Paid-Internships: Gaining a formal work experience is always a good option to give the applicant an edge over more than half of the applicants. In case you have relevant previous experience, the chances of you gaining scholarships gets really high.

Check Out: How to Improve Communication Skills?

How to get scholarship to study abroad?

Getting a scholarship to study for free abroad is a hectic task. A lot of websites give you ideas and strategies that are mostly futile in nature and add nothing which values your time.

After putting in a lot of resources, we have come up with a list of 10 sure shot ways to score the best scholarships while you are still dreaming of studying abroad:

1. Asking for help to the people and contact the university’s study abroad office, financial aid offices and other such places to get an idea about ways to enter the country with an education visa having a scholarship always helps.
2. Researching and applying for a lot of scholarships increases your chances of getting a good scholarship. 
3. Contacting the Scholarship or Grant Funder directly or in person increases your chances of being able to take up a scholarship.
4. In case you are a working professional and are good with equally good bargaining power, you may avail a study opportunity in a foreign university through the sponsored category of the company.
5. Tweaking the resume to highlight important achievements in your life always adds to the advantage of being able to draw the attention of the scholarship granting committee.
6. References, wherever put, are always added advantages.
7. In that case, putting up a Statement of Purpose along with a Letter of Recommendation helps you put more weight on the application form.
8. Generally, two letters of recommendation always helps you draw the chances towards success.
9. There are a number of universities that take their own entrance exams in order to decide the scholarship holders.
10. Governments of Sweden or Norway provide free scholarships to international students.

Check Out: Havard University Scholarships for Indian Students

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