Oftentimes, people use scholarships to mean fellowships. To them, any award that funds your study or research is a scholarship. However, a scholarship is different from a fellowship for subtlety and intellectual purposes. The scholarship vs fellowship argument examines the differences between scholarships and fellowships. You’ll see what fellowship is, understand graduate and research fellowships, and access some top fellowship programs.
Scholarships, fellowships, grants, and loans are the various forms of aid available to students to fund their education. Studying abroad as an international student can be a tough experience, especially financially wise. Thus, schools and institutions provide several aid forms to ensure insufficient or poor finance doesn’t cripple your academic performance.
Therefore, scholarships and fellowships have one thing in common. They are both forms of financial aid to subsidize your education cost.
Now that you know this, let’s answer the relevant questions you may already be asking.
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If you’ve ever wondered if you can get financial aid for being a Christian, here’s your answer. See these 27 Full Christian Scholarships.
What is Fellowship?
Many categories of people use the term “Fellowship.” It means different things to different users of the term. However, the Christian community uses the term “fellowship” more than the other categories of users. By default, the average individual thinks of the Christian fellowship when you mention the word to them. Meanwhile, the other users of the term are the Academia and economic industries.
The connotation of “fellowship” to Christian gatherings or Christianity is why some people would instead refer to a fellowship as a scholarship. It saves them a further explanation. However, you can be more specific in your discussion or search by saying or typing “academic fellowship.”
The academic fellowship is a monetary award that allows you to pursue mainly graduate or post-graduate level programs in specific fields of study. Also, most fellowships will include an internship or service commitment lasting for one or more years.
Additionally, fellowships are prizes that graduate students or postgraduate scholars typically compete for. You become a Fellow once you win a fellowship award. Meanwhile, organizations that offer fellowships select fellows based on their potential to contribute positively to their academic discipline.
It is, therefore, for this reason, that you’ll see more graduate and post-graduate fellowships than undergraduate fellowships. This does not mean, however, that there are no undergraduate fellowships. Some undergraduate institutions label their college scholarships and fellowships and offer them to their students.
Winning a spot in a fellowship program is very competitive. This is because fellowships allow you to focus on academic research and access development opportunities that boost your career development in addition to tuition costs.
What is a Scholarship?
Scholarships are easier to understand. It is a word we use widely to refer to opportunities and aid that subsidize or takes care of our education costs. They are one of the best ways to fund a college education because you don’t have to repay them.
Also, students receive scholarships from government entities, schools, and private organizations. These organizations and bodies award student scholarships based on merit, financial need, or other qualifying requirements.
The exciting thing about scholarships is that more and more donors and funders are springing up. Almost every interest and movement has a scholarship supporting students with similar interests. So, you can get soccer scholarships, music scholarships, and even Zombie Apocalypse scholarships.
Organizations are increasingly creating scholarship funds to support students as part of telling their immediate communities to thank them. Thus, if you dedicate your time to searching for scholarships as well as searching in the right place, you’ll always see a scholarship that suits your needs. No matter your level of study.
Meanwhile, each scholarship will have its application requirements and deadlines. It is thus essential that you start researching scholarships as soon as possible. Also, when applying for scholarships, stay alert for scams that advantage of hopeful students. You should also be alert for the ones that require you to pay to get them and the ones that promise too much to be realistic.
Differences between Scholarships and Fellowship
The scholarship vs fellowship discussion has some clear distinctions. Some of these are the reasons institutions will expressly state that particular funding is a fellowship and not a scholarship.
The first clear distinction between scholarship vs fellowship is in their meanings. While scholarships precisely convey that there is financial aid for students to gain, fellowships do not necessarily imply that. Fellowships could be about “status.
” For example, some schools like Oxford announces a fellowship where the fellow’s benefit is the free usage of some facilities to enhance their research. Like accessible computers and internet access at the library.
Another basis of the scholarship vs fellowship distinction is the scope. Scholarships are available to almost everyone seeking academic development at any level. As early as elementary or high school, scholarships are available to students with academic promise.
Some of these scholarships are endowments, which implies that the early-stage academic student receiving the scholarship doesn’t merit it. However, fellowships are unavailable for early academics, no matter the reason.
The reason for the award is another distinguishing factor of the scholarship vs fellowship discussion. Students receive scholarships based on needs, merit, category, and other qualifying factors. On the other hand, students receive fellowships only based on merit. This is the reason why fellowships are very competitive. Also, the number of recipients is small compared to that of scholarships.
The final scholarship vs fellowship distinction is on the area of study. While students in every field of study can get scholarships, fellowships are specifically for students undertaking research. This is the reason why fellowships are for graduate students. The few schools giving undergraduate fellowships give them undergraduate research programs.
Types of Fellowship
Concentrating on fellowships to help us better see the scholarship vs fellowship distinction, let’s look at the significant kinds of fellowships.
Here are the popular scholarships government and research organizations offer fellows.
Graduate Fellowships
As the name implies, graduate fellowships help subsidize the cost of graduate study for fellows, such as tuition. Organizations mostly pack their graduate fellowships with stipends to cover the fellow’s living costs and health insurance. Also, because fellowships assist in building the fellow’s career, you’ll find graduate fellowships that cover expenses related to the fellow’s professional development. Expenses like the cost of attending academic conferences.
Medical Fellowships
The medical fellowship is a more specific kind of fellowship. Physicians who are through with their medical school and residency in their chosen specialty are the ones that receive this kind of fellowship. They receive the medical fellowship further to receive training in a sub-specialty of the medical field.
Thus, you’ll see a physician specializing in anesthesiology apply for a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology. This is the children’s application of anesthetics during medical procedures. This kind of fellowship makes the medical professional an authority in his niche.
You may also be interested in the updated World Best Medical School Rankings.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
Students who have recently completed their doctorate studies and want to further their research get a postdoctoral fellowship. Also, some postdoctoral fellowship concentrates on narrow academic disciplines. Fellows who take fellowships to study these courses become experts on these narrow but highly important subjects through in-depth research. Additionally, postdoc fellows teach courses and conduct research based on the fellowship requirement. You may see postdoc fellowships that provide not only funding for coursework but also for extracurricular projects.
What is a Fellowship Program?
A fellowship program could either mean the eligible course a fellow’s fellowship supports or the fellowship itself. For example, the Ford Foundation fellowship program is a fellowship provided by the Ford Foundation for predoctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral levels of study.
Meanwhile, you are studying a course by being a graduate, medical, or postdoctoral fellow. This graduate course your selected tertiary institution offers, for which your fellowship funds, is the program.
How Long Does a Fellowship Last?
The duration of an academic fellowship depends on the type of fellowship and the granting institution’s guidelines. However, most fellowships last for a year.
This does not mean that some don’t last for a longer time, though. Also, you can renew some yearly fellowships if you meet the funder’s eligibility requirements, like GPA. Again, this depends on the funder’s guidelines, as some fellowships may not be renewable.
Also, it is possible to combine two or more short fellowships to get sufficient funding for your program. Meanwhile, a fellowship for Ph.D. students may last for several years. This is because earning a doctorate takes at least four years of study and an additional year of dissertation writing.
What is a Fellowship Grant?
You may have seen it somewhere or heard someone mention “fellowship grant.” Grants are a kind of financial aid to support the student’s education. Grants require no repayment; they are more like gifts to the student. Also, like scholarships, students receive grants based on financial need, merit, and other requirements.
Most universities in the US qualify you for a Federal grant after gaining admission. When you submit your Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA), you’ll automatically determine if you qualify for a need-based federal Pell Grant.
Meanwhile, a fellowship grant is different from a grant. It is simply an academic fellowship. People who refer to fellowships as fellowship grants mean the ‘grant’ as the money involved in the offer. Therefore, when they say fellowship grant, they mean fellowships that provide financial aid, not just a fellowship that gives status.
Tax Implication of Scholarships & Fellowships
You must know the tax consequences of accepting a scholarship or fellowship in the USA. The amounts you receive may be tax-free, or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may require you to present them as taxable income.
According to IRS, a scholarship or fellowship is tax-free if you are enrolled as a degree candidate at a recognized educational institution and receive amounts for tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at the institution. Such other fees include the cost of books, supplies, and equipment for completing your courses at the institution.
However, fellowships and scholarships are taxable if you use the amount received for incidental expenses like room and board, travel, and optional equipment. It is also taxable if you receive amounts as payment for teaching, research, or other services that form the condition for receiving the scholarship or fellowship grant.
However, you don’t need to include in gross income any amounts you receive for services that the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program requires of you. The Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance Program or a comprehensive student work-learning-service program by a work college does not require you to include gross income.
Here’s a postdoc fellowship for you: AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Applying for Scholarships and Fellowships
Following the funder’s guidelines, applying for scholarships and fellowships is easy. But first, you must search for scholarships or fellowships that suit your financial and academic needs. Here, we provide scholarships to study abroad, scholarships based on your discipline, and scholarships by country.
Also, most scholarship programs have application deadlines you should take note of. Apply for scholarships long before the deadline, probably a year before or the same year you need it. Scholarship program guidelines may require you to meet or maintain a certain minimal GPA.
This means that it is sometimes not enough to get scholarships. It will help if you aspire for academic excellence to continue receiving or being eligible for more awards.
Furthermore, when scholarships require you to submit essays, be sure to write an award-winning scholarship essay. These essays separate qualified candidates from those who need free money for their schooling.
Top Fellowship Opportunities
To save you the stress of scouring the web for fellowships, here are some fellowship opportunities you should check out:
Future Global Leaders Fellowship in the USA:
The Future Global Leaders Fellowship selects the best first-generation university students in the world. It prepares them in a three-year program for integration into the Fortis Society, the world’s leading private network of diverse leaders committed to success and a better world.
Ford Foundation Fellowship:
The Ford Foundation Fellowship program is for academically excellent U.S. students. However, you must commit to pluralism and a strong interest in teaching and research to be eligible. The Ford Foundation Fellowship Program provides study funds to predoctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral level students.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program:
The Humphrey Program brings young and mid-career professionals from designated countries to the United States for a year of non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development, and professional collaboration with U.S. counterparts. The U.S. Department of State funds this program.
Imperial College ISSF Springboard Research Fellowships:
The Imperial College London is inviting applications for ISSF Springboard Fellowships for 2024/2024. These fellowships are available for international students. Also, the fellowship helps with the career progression and retention of outstanding early-career researchers.
ICO Fellowships in Ophthalmology for Developing Countries:
The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) sponsors this fellowship program. It is basically for candidates from developing countries. The fellowship lasts three (3) months, and entries are ongoing. However, submission continues till September 30 each year.
Top Scholarship Opportunities
Also, here are some very prestigious scholarships you should check out.
British Chevening Scholarships:
Chevening Scholarships 2024 is a UK government scholarship awarded to international students with leadership potential and strong academic backgrounds. The scholarship offers financial support of £18,000 to study for a master’s degree at any UK university and the opportunity to become part of an influential global network of 50,000 alumni.
Fulbright scholarship for international students:
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals, and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide. Approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year.
Erasmus Mundus Scholarships for all Countries:
The Erasmus Mundus Scholarships 2024, funded by the European Union, are exclusively awarded to students from EU and non-EU countries selected to attend one of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Programmes at the Masters’s or Doctorate level.
DAAD Scholarships For All Students:
DAAD scholarship is one of the scholarships in Germany for international students this 2024; it is a fully sponsored scholarship. Also, the scholarship program allows you to continue your academic education in Germany with a postgraduate course of study.
You can check out some Scholarship Essay Examples That Won Money and follow their format and steps.
Scholarship vs Fellowship FAQs
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further their education. It is a grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded based on academic or other achievements. At the same time, a fellowship allows graduate students to get more graduate and post-graduate research experience without breaking the bank.
A graduate fellowship financially supports graduate students to pursue graduate studies without associated teaching or research responsibilities. In fact, at the graduate level, both fellowships and scholarships are merit-based awards applied to the funding of a graduate study.
A fellow is a member of an academy, learned society, or group of learned subjects which work together in pursuing mutual knowledge or practice. A fellow may belong to many kinds of fellowships awarded for different reasons in academia and industry.
In Conclusion:
Scholarships are pretty different from fellowships. One of the significant scholarships vs fellowships distinctions is that while scholarships are for all levels of students and areas of study, fellowships are primarily for graduate students to conduct research in particular fields of study.
The major fellowships available are a medical, graduate, and postdoctoral fellowships.
Also, you may have to pay tax for receiving awards that fund incidental expenses like room and board. Furthermore, winning a scholarship or fellowship award may be easy if you meet the eligibility requirements and follow the scholarship guidelines accordingly.
We hope we have made your search for awards easier with the top scholarships and fellowship positions we provided you in this post.
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