First a few definitions:

Scholarship: 

Outright grants of money usually awarded based on merit. This can be based on academic, athletic, extra-curricular or other specific performance criteria. Scholarships may be awarded by the university itself, by alumni of the university, or by other organizations, foundations or even individuals.

Financial Aid: 

Outright grants, loans, or work study opportunities awarded based on financial need demonstrated by the student. Financial aid is usually awarded by the university (through its office of financial aid) or by the government.

Need Blind: 

Admission decisions are made without regard to whether the applicant has applied for financial aid or not. If a student is admitted and requests financial aid, the university may meet all or some of the demonstrated financial need of the student.

Need Aware: 

Admissions officers are aware of financial need when making decisions. When the amount of financial aid is limited it is usually awarded to very top applicants. An otherwise qualified applicant could be denied admission if there is not enough aid available. An institution can be need blind for local students but need aware for international applicants.

A student should not dismiss applying to an institution because of cost without first looking at scholarship and financial aid opportunities offered by that university.

In the UK, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong, the ability to pay tuition is not a factor in admissions. Institutions there assume that if you apply you will be able to afford to attend. As almost without exception universities in these countries are state supported, scholarships and financial aid given by their institutions for international (non-local) students have been rare in the past. With the move toward globalization however the desire to attract non local students has resulted in a growing number of scholarships being made available to overseas students. Financial aid for non local students is still limited in these countries.

Canada has a growing number of universities which are opening up scholarship eligibility to international applicants. Their large scholarships are very competitive, but many of them offer small scholarships when they give offers to attract students to their university. Very few Canadian schools offer need based financial aid, Trent University and the University of British Columbia are exceptions, but this is offered only to outstanding applicants. Canadian citizens are eligible for a sizable number of scholarships from the federal and state governments; student loans are also only available to applicants holding a Canadian or American passport. Students are advised to check the individual universities websites for scholarship/financial aid information. 

The UK also has begun to offer some scholarship opportunities for overseas students but not to the same extent as Canada. Sheffield, Durham, Bath and University College London (UCL) are among the few that offer international scholarships. Some, such as Exeter and Birmingham, offer international scholarships for specific programs. Check the British Council website for additional scholarships as they become available. There are a very few institutions that do offer limited financial aid (LSE for one) but again this is very competitive. Student loans from the universities are not available to overseas students. Applicants should see the universities individual websites for information.

Australian universities offer a very limited number of international scholarships for undergraduate study but these tend to be very competitive. A particular feature of many of these scholarships is that all applicants made offers by the university are automatically considered for the scholarships, thus no scholarship application is required. There are a number of small scholarships often offered for specific programs, sometimes by outside agencies. Australian citizens admitted under the CSP plan automatically pay a lower tuition rate than international or full-fee places. Check with individual universities for scholarship information and see the Australian government website below for a full listing of scholarships available.

While universities and colleges in the USA are considered the most expensive in the world, they also offer more scholarships and financial aid than their counterparts in other countries. A significant number of universities and colleges in the US are private and therefore are not subject to government controls concerning financing overseas students, thus the ability to offer scholarships and especially aid is greater. Almost all American private universities offer some scholarships to overseas students. Many offer scholarships, which may range from a few hundred US dollars to substantial amounts, automatically to highly qualified applicants in an attempt to convince the student to attend their school. A few public universities are now beginning to offer limited scholarships to overseas applicants. The financial aid situation is more complicated. Some institutions like the Ivy League schools offer financial aid (based on financial need) but no merit scholarships. Several of the most prestigious universities guarantee to meet the entire demonstrated need of any applicant and thus are need blind. Others will meet the need only of US and Canadian citizens. Still others, with a limited international scholarship budget, will meet some of the need of overseas students until the budget runs out. This means that the university is need aware as it must take into consideration how much scholarship money is available when making admission decisions. If the aid budget is exhausted, an otherwise qualified applicant may be denied admission if he is requesting aid. 

The purpose of financial aid is not to offer everyone a free degree but to allow those in need to afford higher education. International applicants for US aid must fill out the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) which can be obtained from the university where you are applying. This form requires extensive data about you and your family’s finances including recent tax returns. It must be signed by you and your parents and should be submitted at the same time you file your university application. Many universities also have their own financial aid form which must be submitted with the ISFAA. While these forms may be complicated and difficult to fill out, please remember that universities are trying to establish genuine need and the more information that you give them the easier it is to award aid. In the event that you consider the aid award as too small or if family circumstances change, you can always appeal to the university’s financial aid office.

Below are some links that may provide some information regarding financial aid for international students.

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A Glance on the Tuition Fee and Living Cost (Per Year) in Different Countries