IV) Try Out Scholarships!

Hi,

Hope my earlier posts have been useful to at least few of you guys. So here after writing posts on financial documents, loans, and F1 visa, I am planning to write the post on scholarships which could definitely help few of aspiring students. Actually, UB as such doesn't provide scholarships to the international students for Master's program. But there are multiple sources from you could get the scholarship.

One such scholarship was "Sakal scholarship" which I thought I missed though, but through which I started searching for other external scholarships. Also, I couldn't forget to add my mother's name due to which I actually started looking and applying for scholarships. You guys might be wondering that when UB provides low tuition fees, then why should we actually search for the scholarship?
Yeah! that's what I had exactly asked my mother.
Her reply was "There is the different pride while studying with scholarship!"

And then with her one reply, I was damn satisfied, because gaining scholarship was a challenge to me. Let's see if I would get the scholarship or not.

1. Sakal scholarship:

• Forms: In Sakal newspaper, it is published about the forms in the first week of April. One needs to write the application letter and send along with the copy of i20 or/both admit letter with 10Rs stamp paper to its office. Then they would send you the application form by post or you may collect it from there office. The last date to send the application letter is 31st May and fully filled scholarship form is 15th June.
• Results: Will be declared after 15 of June
• Loan amount of sixty thousand would be received as the scholarship, which can be paid within the two years time frame.
• One of the UB aspirants did receive the scholarship this year! Read in the newspaper.

Attachment: Application for scholarship

2. Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship:

• I had emailed akf-isp@akesi.org regarding the scholarship forms. They, in turn, redirected me to mail akfispindia.2017@gmail.com The response to the mail was fast, they indeed emailed me the forms along with the dos and don'ts well addressed. Unfortunately, I didn't apply to this scholarship purely because the deadline was very close & getting hard copies of three recommendations and then sending the copies to the Delhi office was the problem due to the time constraint
• The scholarship provided by Aga Khan foundation is of type - interest-free loan amount.

3. J N TATA Endowment: 

• Those who secure admission in Cornell University, a scholarship given to them are in good numbers.
• For others, they provide the loan scholarship. i.e they provide the loan without interest. For few, they even give provide scholarship amount without repayment.
• Complete process to apply for the scholarship is online. All the proof documents along with the recommendation letters need to be uploaded.
• The last date to apply for the TATA scholarship is 31st March
• My bad luck, scholarship application got rejected on 11th April

4.  K.C Mahindra Scholarship:

• We need to download the Mahindra Scholarship forms from their website. Then after completing the application form, along with the proofs and recommendation letters we need to post them to the address mentioned somewhere in Mumbai.
• The last date to apply for the K.C Mahindra Scholarship was in the mid-20s of march'.

5. Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation:

• The scholarship is in form of zero interest loan. 
• This is the only scholarship where we need to pay 500 rupees before starting the scholarship application process.
•  The application form is completely online. 
• On the website, it was also mentioned about the mentors to be assigned to the scholarship holders. 
• The last date to apply for the Narotam Sekhsaria foundation scholarship is 31st March.

Thanks,
NK 

III) US VISA - Preparation and Interview

Now with SBI loan underprocess, next thing is to prepare the financial documents required for the VISA (F1) interview. Now we just can't randomly prepare the financial documents right? We need to prepare the documents as per the questions asked.

So the common questions asked in the interview are:

1. "Who would sponsor you?"

2. If you told about parents being your sponsor, they will ask, "What they do?"

A) For business, 

-"What business?".

If the business is cool, they wouldn't even look at your financial documents.

And the chances of visa getting approved would be high. 

Because they would not grill for questions related to returning back to India, which is the difficult part to convince them :(

B) For job,

-  Again if the sponsor works in state or central government at a good position, the chances of visa getting approved would be high. Because they would not much grill for questions related to returning back to India, which is the difficult part to convince them :(

It definitely doesn't mean that other students don't go for Masters to the US. The i20 is always higher than the actual amount and in reality, no one will have so many liquid funds. Mostly the people would invest in the property and the shares rather than FDs or in the savings account.

Now, let's prepare the financial documents for answering the questions asked in the VISA interview.

Who would sponsor you?

If they are parents.. would ask "What they do?" "What's their annual income?" Also, will be asked to show the passbook.
If their annual income is less than 10 lakh would grill again that it wouldn't be enough..how would u repay the loan .. future plans..if in India..? salary you would get in India ..after the degree?
If ur parents are retired then would ask "What they did before?" Sometimes they need the designation, sometimes job roles, etc

But the interview is of 3-5 min right? And you can't even explain in detail. So one must prepare the financial summary document.

So final conclusion is to prepare your financial documents depending upon the answer you would give to VI officer.


my US VISA approved @Mumbai on 18th may'2017

US VISA is divided into two procedures:

1. OFC Centre:

You need to appear at least a day before VI. Need to carry just the passport, DS 160 and appointment confirmation page. Can go before the appointment time. I had the appointment at 3. But they allowed me inside the office at 2,15 itself and to my surprise, I was out before 3.
At the OFC office, just photo and fingerprinting are carried out. Girls need to tie their hairs for the photo.

2. VISA Interview (VI):

Need to reach before an hour they allow early to enter the office. The Huge line is there near the consulate building.

Again, fingerprinting is carried out before the VI

VI (Counter no 29)
Forwarded just the passport, i20 and sevis receipt.

Questions asked to me...

1. Why UB?

(Ans) Explained the latest research going in Rosewell Park Cancer Centre in Buffalo and how it's aligning with my research in PPS..and how my course is going to help

2. Who is going to sponsor u?

(Ans) major funds from loan - SBI, personal savings
          minor: parents

3. What ur parents do?

(Ans) My mom is a teacher. My father is retired.

4. What he did before?

(Ans) Was analyst

VI replied: Congrats ur VISA is approved!
Gave a broad smile!
Replied, "Thank you ma'am! have a nice day..."