Since the emergence of COVID-19, we’ve seen a rapid surge in e-learning, lots of colleges that never banked on the idea, had to start innovating to adapt to the demand. In fact, a report from Al-Fanar Media shows that Since 2020, 98% of universities have moved their classes online, compared to the previous year before the pandemic (11.8 million vs. 6.0 million).
Lots of students now find it more relaxing and convenient to further their degree online, it has even given hope to some dropouts that never intend to return to the four walls of the university. And, one of the best parts is that the cost of schooling has also reduced.
However, some colleges still seem like they never moved a needle in their fees, which also means that you need to consider paying quite a huge amount of money to attain a degree.
The good news is that there are several best scholarships to study online, and if you’re lucky, you might even get a fully funded scholarship, perhaps to study a fast bachelor’s degree online. Also, even if you decide to pursue a degree or certification course on-campus, you can still take advantage of some international undergraduate scholarships or even take advantage of one of the government’s financial assistance.
Even though online learning is convenient and can be taken at your own pace, it can also be risky to remain focused, so make sure you’re someone that is self-motivated before enrolling in online classes, especially online degrees.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Studying Online
- One of the major advantages of studying online is the flexibility, you get to run your activities and still attend classes at your own pace, which is very interesting if you have family or busy schedules.
- The second advantage is that you won’t pay as much as someone attending a campus-based class, and you still save money on accommodation, transportation, etc.
- You’ll also have access to a global network that enables you to interact and network with students and teachers from different parts of the world.
Scholarships to Study Online
1. Commonwealth Distance Learning Master’s Scholarships
Commonwealth is known to provide different kinds of scholarships to developing countries, whether it’s Master’s Scholarships or Split-site Ph.D. Scholarships, or even Gender and Sexuality Fellowships. Their aim has always been to diligently help candidates of outstanding ability, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, based in low and middle-income countries.
The scholarship helps to pay your tuition fee for an approved Master’s course at a participating UK university, and you have to be from one of the Commonwealth-eligible countries.
2. American University Online Program Scholarships
American University provides merit-based scholarships to study online in which all admitted students that have excellent academic credentials and exhibit exceptional leadership skills are considered for these scholarships. Some of these scholarships include;
- Online Master of Arts in Economics, Applied Economics Specialization
- Online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication
- Online Master of Public Administration and Policy
Etc.
3. Edinburgh Global Online Learning Masters Scholarships
The University of Edinburgh is providing twenty Master’s scholarships for eligible part-time distance learning graduate programs offered by the University. The interesting thing is that their scholarship will completely cover the full tuition of recipients, which also makes it very competitive.
4. The Anne Rowling Clinic Online Distance Learning scholarships
This is another scholarship to study Master’s degree online, applicants need to be accepted for admission to the online distance learning postgraduate Certificate, Diploma, or Master’s Stem Cell and Translational Neurology program.
5. Edinburgh Surgery Online Global Scholarships
This is among the scholarships for distance learning that the University of Edinburgh provides, and it also covers full tuition for recipients, plus the cost of internet access, printing, and project costs. You need to be admitted to the MSc Surgical Sciences (Online Learning) and ChM (Online Learning) General Surgery, Urology, Trauma & Orthopaedics, Vascular & Endovascular to be considered.
6. Mastercard Foundation Online Learning Scholarships
Mastercard Foundation are providing 3-year part-time online Master’s scholarships & 2-year part-time postgraduate Diploma scholarships to students living or working in Africa with great academic and leadership potential but few educational opportunities. It’ll also cover full-tuition of winners, plus a stipend, a laptop, and the opportunity to attend an in-person summer school in Africa.
7. University of the People Tuition Free Education (Plus Scholarships)
I’ve always admired UoPeople for their tuition-free 100% online programs, all you have to pay is just for the minimal application and assessment fees. Where it even gets more interesting, they still provide scholarships to those that still find it difficult to pay these small fees – what could get better than that?
This makes you graduate with little or no student loans.
8. Welch Scholarship @ Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
This is one of the scholarships to study online awarded to all new online/part-time MPH students. This award is in honor of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s 100th anniversary and its founding Dean William Henry Welch.
The scholarship will cover tuition costs and will be disbursed incrementally for each credit.
9. Berklee Online – Online Music Scholarships
With the help of some music celebrities, Berklee is rewarding the 16 most promising online undergraduate-level certificate students with online scholarships worth $1,515 each. Also, you need to earn a minimum GPA of 3.7 to qualify.
10. University of Glasgow – UK Study Online Scholarship
This online scholarship is open to UK, EU, and international students taking online undergraduate and postgraduate courses. The scholarship is worth £1,000
11. Liberty University Scholarships for Online College Students
Liberty University provides several scholarships to study online and each of them has its worth, specific requirements, and deadlines.
12. Scholarships for ACU Online Students
Abilene Christian University has developed different scholarships and tuition discounts to enable their students to earn their degrees with lesser financial burden. First of all every new online undergraduate student is eligible for $500 worth of scholarship, then there are other awards like;
- $3,000 Scholarship for Doctor of Education Students
- Graduate School of Theology Scholarships
- Church Matching Scholarship
And some other discounts.
13. UToledo Online Scholarship
One of the things I love about online scholarships provided by the University of Toledo is that with just a 2.0 GPA you can qualify. The award is $500 per academic year ($250 per semester).
14. UA Online Scholarships
The University of Alabama is another college that is very generous in providing several scholarships for distance learning, some of them include;
- James C. Caldwell Endowed Scholarship
- The Campbell–Ellis Endowed Scholarship
- Dorothy D. and John J. Boyne Endowed Support Funds
- Robert M. and Muriel R. Barksdale Endowed Scholarship
Etc.
15. The University of Manchester – Equity and Merit Scholarships
The University of Manchester provides 39 scholarships (29 for full-time study and ten for online study) available for a range of courses in engineering, environment, health sciences, development, education, textiles, and law. The scholarship covers recipients’ full tuition and includes international airfares, living expenses, and visas for students that will be studying in Manchester.
Conclusion
You can see there are several scholarships to study online or obtain a certification course, you just need to be aware of deadlines and apply to those you’re eligible to.
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