Scholarships are opportunities a lot of students seek after, as they can pay part of a student’s tuition or even go as far as covering full tuition plus providing a monthly allowance and exclusive privileges. Scholarships are beneficial to students of all levels, whether part-time, full-time, masters, or doctoral students, and are available for all levels.
Some scholarships are only given to a specific group of people like there are scholarships only available to women, black people, or Hispanic people. Some are also given to religious groups alone, and some scholarships target a unique set of people, like those who wear glasses, or those who have parents who have served in the military.
Get Up to $100,000 Student Loan for Your Master in US or Canada - Apply before 31 December 2024 to get as low as 9.99% interest rate
With the right information, students can get scholarships suited to their needs or those that favor their catchment areas such as race or degree. Despite all the information, however, some scholarships can be very hard to get into. Here is a list of the top 10 hardest scholarships to receive.
Table of Contents
1. Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship was instituted in 1902 to sponsor brilliant academic students in their various fields. It was named after Cecil John Rhodes, a big mining hotshot, and a South African politician. This scholarship sponsors postgraduate students: those who want to further a graduate degree or pursue a second degree, and who wish to study at Oxford University.
The acceptance rate of the Rhodes scholarship is 0.7%, making it the hardest scholarship to get, as it is fiercely competitive and involves a rigorous screening process. For East Africa, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, and East Africa only 1 scholarship is available to each region. For applicants in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, UAE, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, 2 slots are available for each region. 11 slots and 32 slots are available for those in Canada and the United States respectively.
2. Fullbright Scholarship
The Fullbright scholarship was established to honor a past senator of Arkansas, Senator J. Williams. It is another highly competitive scholarship and encourages the integration of cultures across the world. Although there are many types of grants, the most popular ones are the Fullbright Full Grant open to scientists, journalists, researchers, and infer anyone who wishes to study abroad, and the Fullbright English Teaching Assistantship Grant open to those who would like to teach English in a country different from the one they currently reside in.
For a Fullbright U.S Grant, a student will be transport, book and research allowances, accident, and health covers. It is open to only overseas graduate students, and the official GPA requirement is 3.0 officially, although it might be higher in some cases. The acceptance rate is 20%, although the school’s official scholarship page categorizes the scholarship as “very hard”.
3. Gates Cambridge Scholarship
With an acceptance rate of just 1.6%, the Gates Cambridge scholarship is indeed a very difficult scholarship to obtain. It accepted only 55 applicants out of 3750 prospective applicants who were granted the coveted scholarship in 2016. Additionally, it was set up by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to sponsor academically excellent students, with exceptional leadership qualities who show an interest in others to study at the prestigious Cambridge University. It covers the full payment of tuition for students who wish to take up a Ph.D., master’s degree in literature or science, or a one-year postgraduate study course.
Applicants must be non-residents of the U.K., and the current study is of Cambridge University can also apply. However, a degree in bachelor of arts is not covered under this scholarship, part-time, non-degree programs as well as masters programs in finance or business. Applicants pass through a threefold screening process, whereby submitted applications are selected at a departmental level to select the best, then nominated names are then forwarded to the Gates Trust for an interview process. Successful interview candidates are then shortlisted as successful recipients.
4. Princeton Scholarship
Princeton University ranks among the top 10 universities globally and is an Ivy League school, so it is no surprise that Princeton scholarships are hard for her. Ivy League schools in America are the best of the best universities in the U.S. and are highly sought after. Unlike previously listed scholarships, the Princeton Scholarship is completely based on the needs of students, which means it is not given on any academic or athletic merit a student may possess, but strictly on the most of needs a student requires for education in the University.
The scholarship fully covers tuition and all other needs such as health and accommodation. In addition, also includes a campus job and grant aid to support students. It is open to undergraduates, graduates, masters, and doctoral students, as well as those seeking fellowships.
5. Mitchell Scholarship
The Mitchell Scholarship is relatively new, as it was started in the year 2000. However, it is still a very hard scholarship as it only grants aid to just 12 out of a pool of 300 applicants, and has a general acceptance take of 4%. It is a fellowship program that runs for one year and is bestowed to nerve Students who wish to study in Ireland. It is funded by the Northern Ireland government and the U.S. Department of State, although it was almost scrapped in 2012.
The reputable scholarship was named after an American senator, George Mitchell, to foster interaction between America and Ireland and to encourage young leaders to share intellectual knowledge across borders. It covers tuition, housing, and cash allowances, and even comes with a traveling allowance during the scholarship year. Successful applicants are placed in selected Ireland universities.
Also See: Top 10 Weirdest Scholarships You Won’t Believe Exist
Tap here to watch
6. Churchill Scholarship
In 1963, the Winston Churchill Foundation established a scholarship program to encourage research in the areas of physical and natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The acceptance rate is a bit higher than other universities (6.3%). Applicants must be citizens of the United States, must have completed a bachelor of science degree, be in the final year of their current institution, or have graduated in the past year, and also possess a GPA of 3.8.
Applicants do not apply directly as they must have been nominated by their institution. The ideal applicant must have a stellar academic record, be very innovative and original in search, and show great personal qualities. Each institution is only allowed to nominate 2 students. The scholarship is fully funded and covers all canon expenses for one year at Churchill College located at the University of Cambridge campus.
7. Marshall Scholarship
This scholarship was established in 1953 to honor George Marshall, a former U.S. Secretary of State for his contributions to the Second World War and government. Its purpose is to encourage unity between Britain and America to solidify the bond the two countries share. It has an acceptance rate of 3.3% and is a post-graduate scholarship for young Americans with demonstrated leadership qualities to schools in the United Kingdom.
It requires applicants to have a GPA of 3.7 and selected applied ants must submit a letter of application that has the backing of their current t intuition. The list of applicants is forwarded to British embassies in America, shortlisted applicants are called for an interview, and the Arabtec tr scholarship is successful.
8. Jardine Scholarship
 The Jardine Scholarship is bestowed by the Jardine Matheson group on students who have exceptional character, interest in serving their communities, and participate in extracurricular activities. It is a full undergraduate scholarship that is only applicable to applicants that come from countries the Jardine Matheson group in print in, such as China, Singapore, and Vietnam. It is also restricted to only four colleges the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
Applicants would have to pass through the round of interviews write two essays and appear before the Scholarship Committee. For the final selection process. It is fully funded and successful students enjoy summer internships with the company but must abide by the regulations of the Scholarship committee at all times.
9. Eugene McDermott Scholarship Program
Another hard scholarship is the Eugene McDermott Scholarship given by the Eugene McDermott Foundation. The scholarship is only available to students applying to the University of Texas, Falls. It offers prospective undergraduate beneficiaries a whole lot of advantages, such as full tuition (which also covers summer), stipends and living expenses for four years, an opportunity to meet with prominent people, a network of past scholars to connect with, professional development funding, and study abroad trips.
Since it is an undergraduate scholarship, applicants are expected to score a minimum of 1450 on the SAT / and 34 on the ACT. The Foundation also seeks those with brilliant leadership and communication skills and is open to students from all over the world. A GPA of around 3.5 must be maintained throughout the student’s stay in school. Students are not allowed to work, start a family, or marry during the program. An average of 20 students, out of 500 prospective beneficiaries are selected annually.
10. Henry Luce Scholarship
The Henry Luce Scholarship was established in 1974 to give U.S. permanent residents or citizens a chance to see and experience Asia. It offers stipends, full tuition, and cultural integration fit students. It is also difficult to get as just 18 students who were privileged to be beneficiaries in 2019. Applicants have to come from one of the applied intuitions and can be professionals, graduates, or undergraduates in any field. Shortlisted causes go through a telephone or Skype interview before finally being declared successful.
In conclusion, for any student wishing to get scholarships applying to these scholarships would mean you are up for a challenge. This marks the end of the list of the top 10 hardest scholarships to obtain all over the world.
Start With Us
Do you want to study abroad? Note that obtaining a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in this field helps to improve your chances in the labor market. Studying abroad is no joke for international students due to the cost. However, you can achieve your dreams without breaking the bank by applying for student loans, which you can pay for as long as 10 years.
MPower Finance and Prodigy Finance are some of the best student loan providers for international students. They also do not require a cosigner or collateral before an application. Reach out to us today, and let’s help you begin the process.
