After graduating from high school, students are compelled to choose on whether continuing their studies or not, which sometimes make them face different challenges. Deciding which university to apply for and what kind of program to follow is a quite different matter. Those who intend to pursue their studies, however, must get prepared to deal with other constraints regarding their academic choice including the costs of university tuition fees. Luckily, in the U.S., most colleges and universities offer both resident and international students scholarships.

If you are a student desirous to study in the U.S. but do not have the necessary means to cover the costs of your studies, take a look at this list of scholarships available in the U.S. that may help you get funding.

Academic scholarships.

An academic scholarship is generally awarded to students who demonstrate a high level of scholastic aptitude and performance. It is a merit-based scholarship that recognizes the academic achievement of the student. Most U.S. universities offer merit scholarships that cover the full cost of a four-year academic program. For example, Indiana University – Bloomington awards a study grant through the merit-based Wells Scholarship, the Ohio State University – Columbus through the Eminence Fellows program, and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation through its National Merit Scholarship Program.

Athletic scholarships.

Athletic scholarships are very common in the United States. They are mainly awarded to an individual proving an outstanding ability and performance in sports. This can be also an amount of financial aid awarded to a student-athlete from the college athletic department. This is the case for NCAA Division I and II Universities – The National Collegiate Athletic Association – offering athletic scholarships and guaranteeing student-athlete’s success both on the field and in the classroom.

Community service scholarships.

A community service scholarship is a volunteering-based subvention for college students showing strong commitment to their community through volunteering for instance. We can quote the Equitable Excellence Scholarship, which can award up to $25,000 to U.S. citizens who engage in positively impacting their community. It is similar to the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, which provide grants for both in-state and international students.

Scholarships for hobbies and extracurricular activities.

Passion, talent and special interests can help a student get their studies fully funded. This is the case for hobby and extracurricular-based scholarships which allow students to leverage their extracurricular activities and translate them to financial awards. The Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest gives away $20,000 in cash grants to students who make the best prom attire out of Duck Brand Duct Tape – a duct tape outfit. Another example is the Archibald Rutledge Scholarship Program offered by the South Carolina Department of Education, which rewards skills in creative writing, dance, theater and visual art.

Military scholarships.

The U.S. has a variety of military scholarships available for military staffs, their spouses, and veterans. Most military scholarships and grants are often reserved to students who pursue subjects of obvious application within the military field such as medicine and military strategy. Moreover, all the branches of the U.S. military – the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard – can offer them partial or full scholarships through what is called Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.

Sources: U.S. News & World Report / Top Universities