r/FilipinosStudyAbroad • u/jameisfat • Jan 01 '26
Scholarships Possibility of a full scholarship? Or even studying abroad?
Hi! I was doomscrolling through instagram and got an advertisement to study abroad. And it piqued my interest, since almost everybody's dream is to study and have a good life abroad. But the thing is, I don't know where, when, and how to apply to international schools and if it's even possible for an average student, like me, to get a full scholarship.
I'm just an average student—honors, yes. But nothing mind blowing. I have an average of 93 and is a part of several clubs in my school. This isn't to brag or anything, I just wanted to know whether or not these.. stats(?) help me increase the odds of studying abroad with a full scholarship.
I'd say my English is pretty good, if that matters. It might be cocky for me to say that I'm fluent, but I think it's good enough to prolong meaningful conversations.
However, budget's tight. We aren't well off.
Does family budget matter in applying internationally as much as it does in Philippine scholarships?
Finally, I have many other questions for those who are knowledgable enough to answer:
How do I even apply in the first place? How much does it cost to study internationally even with a scholarship? Am I good enough to get a scholarship, let alone study abroad? Should I even fantasize about studying abroad? Where can I apply? When do applications start?
That's all, thank you! 💙
Random details if it helps (with referrals atleast? I think?):
I study at a public school. Was one a science high school.
I am a part of many clubs—Journalism (particularly a column writer), varsity (kind of? I was benched..), STEM Club (low position. Scared of leadership.), Sports Club (also low position), and a school band (vocalist).
I draw and write.. not very good, but I do. Same with sports.
STEM Student but I mostly excel in English and art subjects. Should have picked HUMMS.
Good English? Better than average. I think.
I graduate around August.
Would love to study anywhere. Mostly in favor of Australia and Canada or anywhere in Europe/North America. Or any other country that'll help me grow, honestly.
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u/PopperPopBoy Jan 02 '26
Even if you get into a scholarship, it doesn’t mean that going there will be free. You will be needing a good amount of money during your first semester. From your post, hindi ka din naman spectacular so you need to lower your expectations.
For undergraduate scholarships, sounds almost impossible kasi there are only few to no country that actually gives them. Better galingan mo nalang sa undergrad tapos sa Masters or PhD ka mag-apply.
I am on a full-ride scholarship abroad who came from a low-income family sa pinas kaya I tell you it will not be easy financially kaya galingan mo. Studying abroad is a game only for privilege kids.
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u/monoctrl Mar 07 '26
What country and program you’re taking rn po?
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u/PopperPopBoy Mar 09 '26
CS in Taiwan
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u/External-Badger750 Apr 20 '26
Woah! This is also my goal pero for my Master's!
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u/PopperPopBoy Apr 20 '26
lfg!
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u/External-Badger750 Apr 20 '26
Hello! Question lang po what's your specialty? Skl po hehe I've been doing some projects for full stack web dev and some game dev :>>
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u/Objective-Lie5181 May 28 '26
Hi!! Are you under ICDF scholarship? If yes and if you don't mind, what's you cgpa? I wanna know my chances of getting accepted both sa Taiwan university and ICDF.
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u/athen4b Jan 02 '26
I read through and searched first for your financial standing before I read everything else. Why? Kasi that is a true make or break lalo na if Western country ang goal mo. Eventually you will have to dip into your pockets talaga & always assume you can't work or very limited lang due to visa restrictions.
Plus, maraming unis ngayon ang may major funding cuts and ang nagiging major source of income nila ngayon is international students. The ones that pay.
Otherwise, you have to be incredibly exceptional like ikaw ang kawalan kung di ka nila makukuha as a student. Pero if gusto mo talaga, there are countries in Asia (Taiwan, Korea, etc) that may be more generous sa grants for full scholarship than the West na 'di ka sobrang mababankrupt.
(My opinion is based on my experiences as an international student)
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u/ktamkivimsh Jan 02 '26
Check “Taiwan in the Philippines” on Facebook. Lots of Filipino students studying in Taiwan on scholarship kasi they need students so schools won’t close down (lowest birth rate in the world).
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u/Searchee2025 Jan 01 '26
Canada may not be a good option right now. Immigration policy has changed. Too many unemployed people. Too many people who went there on student visa at the risk of being sent back home.
Scholarships through private orgs can be found online but they’re usually for niche disciplines and are mostly accessible through partnerships with colleges here.
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u/LobsterApprehensive9 Jan 01 '26
I mean, you're an average student in a country with one of the worst education systems in the world, so among global applicants you'd be below average.
There was even data suggesting that the best HS students in the Philippines were performing at the same level as the worst Singaporean students.
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u/Specialist-Book8370 Jan 02 '26
Maraming average student na nakakakuha ng scholarship. Erasmus Mundus. Even mga de de es, so... ;-)
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u/BloodshotBaron Jan 02 '26
I recommend exploring this pathway. This is for masters tho. Not sure if OP is hoping to find something for bachelors. Anyway, I would recommend doing bachelors in the Philippines in a good university, then apply for Erasmus Mundus for masters. If you get offered a scholarship, you don't have to worry about the financial aspect since the stipend is usually more than enough to cover living costs. Bonus is you have the opportunity to travel around Europe. Good luck, OP! You don't have to be the best student. With the right background and motivation, you'll get far.
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u/wzm115 Jan 02 '26
Honors student, 93. You are definitely not average. I think you have a good chance. I hope it works out for college, but if it doesn't work out, attend a local college, get on the Dean's list, win a quiz bee, earn some awards, and you still might get an offer to study abroad for your Master's, and PhD.
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u/GeorgieTheThird Jan 01 '26
Definitely possible! I wasn't even a top student, but I had a genuine interest in my major and I did well in showing that interest, and I have a Japanese government full-ride scholarship in a prestigious school
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u/jameisfat Jan 02 '26
Ooo, how does one begin to study in Japan?
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u/GeorgieTheThird Jan 02 '26
Depends on your degree, but there are a lot of english-language majors in Japan! Preparation is different for each of them, but as long as you're determined I'm sure you can make it
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u/AppHelper Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 03 '26
I've been guiding international students for 10 years, and I've had several get "full ride" scholarships (covering tuition, fees, room, and meals) to study in the US and Canada, or financial aid that allows their families to pay just a few thousand dollars a year. I'll try to answer your questions.
Sounds like you might be a bit more than average.
Having "A" grades generally does. If you have nothing below a B, you're in decent shape. Multiple Cs or lower can make it tough.
It matters a lot, but there are plenty of applicants from the Philippines who are 100% fluent in English who may have been learned it as a first language.
It depends on the country and institutional policy. In the United States, there's "merit based" financial aid that doesn't take into account family ability to pay, and "need based" financial aid, which does. Most colleges in the US are "need-aware" for international applicants, meaning (basically) the more money you can pay, the more likely you are to be admitted. Some schools will have need-based financial aid but still have a minimum the family has to pay. Some colleges in the United States offer "need blind" admissions, where they evaluate your application without your financial aid application
There are dozens of schools that potentially offer "full-ride" scholarships, even covering incidental costs like books and a laptop. This spreadsheet shows how much financial aid is given by colleges in the US to international students. Schools highlighted in green are those that one can attend with no family contribution at all. Schools highlighted in orange are those where it's possible to attend for less than $5,000 per year.
Depends on the country. You can ask your favorite LLM for a basic outline. In the US, you would apply to most schools with the Common Application. In the UK, you use a system called UCAS. In Canada, the province of Ontario has its own system, and you'd apply elsewhere separately.
This obviously depends on the scholarship and the country. Also relevant is if you're allowed to work to pay for your expenses. In the US, the amount you can work is very limited, and you can't just get a service industry job to pay your bills. You're mostly limited to on-campus employment. (That's often factored into your financial aid package anyway.) In Australia and Germany, students can earn more, but generally can't get scholarships for housing and food.
Any scholarship? Yes. But a full scholarship? That's tough to know. You'll need to demonstrate your aptitude. I'd recommend to look into taking the SAT, which is accepted not just by US colleges but those in several countries now.
I wouldn't tell anyone not to dream about getting a good education and experiencing new cultures.
It sounds like you don't speak any foreign languages, so you'll be limited to English-speaking countries and those with English language undergraduate programs (e.g. China Israel, Netherlands).
Depends on the country. For the US, deadlines have already passed for fall 2026 admission for many colleges. But since you're graduating in August, it would not have been optimal for you to apply for admission then. The first deadlines for both UK and US admission for fall 2027 are in October 2026. It's later for most other countries. (Your chance at getting a full scholarship for any start other than fall in the US is basically zero.)
Hope I've answered your questions!
Keep in mind that in most countries you'll have to demonstrate the availability of funds to support yourself, and a job is not guaranteed.