I'm All About That Free Money

If there is one thing that scares people away from studying abroad, it's definitely the cost. Leaving the country and living elsewhere is not a cheap adventure, especially in Australia. Milk in the good ol' US of A is about $3.14 a gallon at HEB, but in Australia, it's double that. But a girls gotta eat! Plus, I can't exactly fly my car over there for the semester, so I will be using public transportation. All these things add up to a rather expensive semester, and since I'm not made of money, I'm filling out stacks of papers begging others to give me money. Here's what I have learned about scholarship applications so far:

1. Getting accepted to your study abroad program and scholarship deadlines DO NOT go together.

By the time I was accepted to my program, the university had already closed the Fall 2013 scholarship application period. BUT you have to wait until you're accepted to the program to apply for scholarships. #lame

2. Study abroad scholarships are not usually for internships.

I am not doing a traditional study abroad. I have chosen to do a study abroad internship in order to see how the Australian education system is run. I didn't want to go to their university and take classes like I would here in the states. I wanted to learn directly from the source. But, this has left me with limited scholarship opportunities. It's been research, research, research since I was accepted. I know there are people out there just dying to give me money for my trip. I've just got to find them and convince them!

3. Not all scholarship applications are boring.

I applied for a scholarship that was given out based on creativity. I'm all about that! I had to create an Australian flag and take a picture with it. This is what I came up with:

4. It's a numbers game.

Filling out ONE scholarship application is not going to fund my trip. Considering my airfare is anywhere between $1,500 and $3,000 and my program fees and housing is $7,000, I have to optimize my chances by applying for every scholarship I qualify for. And even the small $500 scholarships make a difference. That's $500 that's not coming out of my pocket and I can deal with that!

5. Scholarship application periods differ. 

Don't forget about a scholarship just because you can't apply until months or weeks later. I've been bookmarking the sites and dates to apply on my computer. That way, whenever the application period opens, I'll be first in line for that free money!