As for grad school, I was very happy to find out that when I got in, I was fully funded by a FLAS Fellowship, which is a foreign language and area studies fellowship that paid for everything for me to complete my studies and even a living stipend. This was also funded by the US State Department. I found out about this through the Financial Aid office at Tulane because I reached out and asked for their help in finding funding. Some institutions are very generous in their financial aid, so definitely reach out to them and ask!
Tips for finding and applying to programs:
The number one thing that helped me was the people around me. I naturally made connections with my professors and people who had done programs I found interesting. When I was applying for different scholarships, I was able to rely on these people to help me with my application materials, write me letters of recommendation, etc. Lean on people, ask lots of questions, go to the office of awards and scholarships and never be afraid to ask for help. It's important to not be embarrassed or ashamed about reaching out for support because these opportunities are really important. Many universities want people to experience them and share their culture and knowledge with other countries. Research what resources are available at your university and use all of the resources available to you! Also, apply to as many as you think suit you. It's natural to worry about rejection, and it's common to be rejected by many opportunities before getting one. These programs, especially the federally funded ones, are great learning opportunities to make a stronger application the next time because it does not cost anything to apply. Don't let the fees stop you!
