Study in USA

Many leading universities in the USA are involved in providing scholarship and fellowship opportunities to students for different levels of education and for varying duration of study. The scholarships are awarded on Merit Based (based on the academic excellence of the student) and Need Based (based on financial needs of the student). Private organizations or donors also fund scholarships for international students which mostly have strict eligibility requirements.

Some of them are:

Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowships for Indian students – Scholarships for Indian students to study at Stanford Graduate School of Business on the MBA program. To be eligible students must return to India within two years of completing their studies.

Chicago Booth School of Business – The Ramakrishnan Family Scholarship and Akhtarali H. Tobaccowala Fellowship are both available for Indian students who apply to study a full-time MBA at the school.

Cornell University Tata Scholarship – Scholarships for Indian citizens who have been accepted to study an undergraduate program at Cornell University.

Fulbright-Nehru Research Fellowships – Offering funding to outstanding Indian students wishing to pursue study at any level within an accredited US institution. See individual scholarships for specific criteria.

Asian Women in Business Scholarship Fund – Offering female Asian students the chance to receive funding for an undergraduate business degree taken at an accredited US university.

S.N. Bose Scholars Student Exchange Program for Indian Students – Opportunities for Indian researchers at master’s level or higher to study a selected program in the field of science and technology at a university in the US.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Programme – Allows young and mid-level career professionals from developing countries the opportunity to pursue non-degree graduate study and related practical professional experience in USA for a period of 10 months. The fellowships are awarded in various fields such as Human Resource Management; Agricultural and Rural Development; Communications/Journalism; Law and Human Rights; Economic Development; Educational Administration etc.

Work Opportunities

International students are eligible to work on-campus during the course period. Universities do have various positions open to students, especially tech transfer offices for graduate students, usually involving roles identifying research which could be of commercial interest and envisioning ways to capitalize on it. These job roles help students understand working culture in the US. 

International Students can apply for a variety of work authorization visas including curricular practical training (CPT), optional practical training (OPT, for F-1), academic training (AT, for J-1), the non-immigrant NAFTA professional (TN) visa (for citizens of Canada and Mexico), or the infamous H-1B. However, students will not be legally authorized to work in the US on a permanent basis on any of these visas, as they are only temporary and needs to be renewed before expiry.

Part time Jobs:

During the course term, international students are allowed to work 20 hours per week, and during the breaks, they can freely work for up to 40 hours per week.

Student Acceptance at a SEVP Approved School

The first step is to apply to a SEVP-approved school in the United States.  After the SEVP-approved school accepts student’s enrolment, he / she will be registered for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and must pay the SEVIS I-901 fee.  The SEVP-approved school will issue a Form I-20.  Once student receives the Form I-20 and register in SEVIS, he / she can apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate for a student (F or M) visa.  

Before visa interview, the following required documents are required to be kept ready:

• Passport valid for travel to the United States – The passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the intended period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in the passport.
• Non-immigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page.
• Application fee payment receipt.
• Photo – Student has to upload his / her photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, he / she must carry one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements at the time of visa interview.
• Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students, Form I-20 or Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant (M-1) Student Status for Vocational Students, Form I-20.

Additional Documentation

A consular officer will interview the student  to determine his / her qualifications for a student visa, and may request additional documents, such as evidence of:

Academic preparation, such as:

• Transcripts, diplomas, degrees, or certificates from schools they attended; and
• Standardized test scores required by the school in U.S.;
• Student’s intent to depart the United States upon completion of the course of study; and
• Proof of Finances to pay all educational, living and travel costs.