These awards are based on a student’s academic, artistic, athletic or other abilities, and often factor in the applicant’s extracurricular activities and community service record. Qualifications, however, can vary dramatically between scholarships.

These scholarships are primarily awarded to individuals who meet certain demographic criteria, typically based on gender, race, religion, family background or ability status. Minority scholarships are the most common variety.

These are scholarships awarded by a country to students planning to pursue a study abroad program in that particular country. They are awarded as an incentive to study in that country rather than somewhere else. Information can be found on sponsored websites of the country’s government.

Program-specific scholarships are offered to qualified applicants by individual programs and/or the colleges and universities that sponsor them. These scholarships are often given on the basis of academic and personal achievement, but qualifications will vary based on the particular scholarship.

Subject-specific scholarships are awarded institutions to students based on their particular major or field of study. These scholarships often require the recipient to enrol in subject-specific courses or conduct subject-specific research while abroad. Again, qualifications will vary based on the individual scholarship.