Two USC Students Share Their Saudi Sponsorship Experience

Are you a Saudi Arabian student looking to study in the USA? A sponsorship might be the best path for pursuing your degree in America.

It certainly was for Ali and Fatimah, two international students on scholarship at the University of South Carolina (USC). Their sponsorships are part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a government-funded initiative aimed at diversifying long-term economic development.

The ambitious investment project focuses on diversifying the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) technology, cultural tourism, infrastructure, and health care sectors. The multifaceted program has a goal of funding the higher education of 70,000 Saudi students who pursue degrees directly aligned with Vision 2030 goals.

How to Find a Sponsorship for Saudi Students

The Ministry of Education’s Saudi Arabia Cultural Mission (MOE/SACM) and private employers fund sponsorship opportunities for Saudi students.

In order to meet the MOE’s eligibility requirements for sponsorship, you must:

Be a Saudi national
Pursue an approved area of study (a few examples are business, engineering, computer science, tourism/hospitality, health care, environmental management, and public policy)
Apply to a university on the MOE’s approved list
Receive an unconditional letter of admission
Attend classes in person (not online)
Maintain academic status and submit progress reports/grades

Four Sponsorship Paths

Student applicants are placed into one of four sponsorship paths, depending on their major, degree level, university tier, and country of study.

Pioneers path, or Alrowad: For students accepted to bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at the world’s top 30 universities
Providers path, or Emdad: For students enrolling at top 200 universities for a bachelor, master, or training degree that directly aligns with Vision 2030 labor market initiatives
Research & Development path: For aspiring science students at the PhD level
Promising path, or Wa’ed: For students wanting to study specific majors at universities in South Korea, Japan, or Germany

Passion and Purpose on the Path to Excellence

Pursuing an area of study that you are truly passionate about is the most important factor to university success and personal happiness, says Ali.

“I would suggest [choosing] the major you want to do. Do not do something you don’t want to do,” he says. “[At] the interview, when they look at your passion and how much you want do this major, they will encourage you to do that, too!”

Ali has wanted to study nursing since middle school. One day, he was watching television when he saw that a local hospital was offering sponsorship opportunities to high school graduates.

He interviewed with the sponsoring hospital and with their help, applied to a university in Australia. After a year of studies there, he decided to transfer and study nursing in the USA. His final choices were Tennessee and South Carolina, and after talking with alumni from both, he chose USC, ranked #31 for nursing by U.S. News & World Report.

With additional top-ranked programs in international business (#1), business (#47), supply chain management (#17), computer science (#111), and economics (#126), Ali knew he would be supported and challenged by an engaging cohort at USC.

Learn more about the University of South Carolina >

Fatimah — a tourism student, also on the Emdad path — applied through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program and was accepted to USC and a university in Washington, DC. She researched USC’s degree rankings and reputation before making her final choice — and it was the slower pace in Columbia, South Carolina, that appealed to her.

“I like the countryside,” she says. “It’s cozy, peaceful, a little bit quiet, more nature.”

“I wanted something [that is different from] Saudi,” she adds with a laugh.

Fatimah is in her first semester and looking forward to pairing her area of study with a personal hobby.

“I love traveling and I am a photographer as well, so I want to combine photography and tourism together,” she says. “It’s also now highly demanded in Saudi because of the new Vision. They want more tourists to come to Saudi.”

How to Apply for Saudi Sponsorship to Study in the USA

There are two parts of the Saudi sponsorship process that happen in tandem: 1) applying to universities and receiving your unconditional acceptance letter, and then 2) applying for the sponsorship. You cannot get a sponsorship without being accepted to a university, and you cannot enroll at a university without proof of guaranteed tuition payment from the sponsor.

Before you begin the process, you will need to:

Gather required documents: a copy of your passport/proof of Saudi citizenship and your school transcripts
Choose an area of study (remember, your major needs to be covered by Saudi sponsorship programs)
Research KSA-approved universities that offer your degree
Take the IELTS, or a similar English language test (schools vary, but the minimum score range is usually 5.0 to 5.5)

Want to improve your English? Consider an ESL pathway program.

Once you have completed your preparation, you will:

Apply to universities (directly, or with the help of educational experts at Shorelight)
Submit your university acceptance letter to your sponsor
Submit your proof of financial guarantee back to the university

You can apply directly to universities, but Fatimah and Ali both highly recommend working with an international student agency or sponsorship advisor.

“I was lucky! I searched and found so many agencies are helping students to get approval or unconditional acceptance from lots of schools,” she says. “They will not just apply [to] one school, [but] so many schools — and for free! It’s a very easy process.”

Learn more about the benefits of working with an education counselor >

Sponsorship Requirements on Campus

In order to keep in good standing, your sponsorship will require updates and keeping a minimum grade point average, or GPA. Other requirements may include filing your planned courses at the beginning of each term, submitting progress reports, attending check-in meetings online, maintaining a good attendance record, and submitting your grades each semester.

“They will be following you whether you are [doing] good or bad. If you are doing bad, they will give you a report that you need to get better, or they will stop the scholarship for you,” says Fatimah.

Fatimah’s advice? “Keep studying! Keep your grades up. If you are good, you are on the safe side.”

Many scholarships reward higher-than-average grades, too.

“Our scholarship is not only funding the [tuition], they’re also giving us allowance for living, housing and books, transportation, and everything,” she says. “If you got a higher GPA, like more than 3.0, that means you are [an] excellent student, so they will give you a bonus allowance.”

Ali is proving his ambition by working a campus job. In addition to taking a full 15-credit course load, Ali is gaining hands-on experience at with the USC International Accelerator Program team.

“I like to keep myself busy and to have more experience in my life,” he says. “Working and studying at the same time will get you [more] success. At USC, you can manage both.”

Tips and Advice for Applying for Sponsorship

Applying to a university in a foreign country can be an overwhelming process. Just a few questions you may be asking yourself are: What are each university’s requirements? Which entrance exams do I need? What is the minimum English score accepted? What is the student visa process? Do I need to write an essay or personal statement?

Fatimah and Ali had all these same questions, too.

In the beginning, Fatimah was researching universities on her own and was going to apply directly to the universities. She was confused and overwhelmed by the different steps and required documents. Then she found an education advisor to help her apply.

“This agency said … just bring IELTS [test score] and your passport and your high school diploma and that’s it!” she continues. “It was much easier when I found the agency.”

With step-by-step help from an enrollment advisor, she applied to several universities and in less than a week, her dream of studying in the USA was coming into focus.

“I got seven acceptance letters!” she exclaims. After making her final decision to study at the University of South Carolina, she submitted her acceptance letter to the MOE. Final approval for the sponsorship took about two months.

While you wait for approval, Fatimah encourages you to be patient, positive, and proactive.

“You need to follow up on the website and sign in every two weeks,” she suggests, because they do not send email updates. “Check the status and you will see the status is changing and that you are in progress.”

“Don’t lose faith,” she says. “Don’t lose hope!”

How Shorelight Can Help

Researching hundreds of universities on the Vision 2030 list and their specific application requirements can be time-consuming and complicated. Fatimah and Ali felt the same way and were grateful to have the help of an expert advisor.

“Don’t be afraid — just go for it! Don’t overwhelm yourself. Don’t think too much,” she says. “Find your agency. They will make your life so [much] easier.”

Shorelight has helped thousands of international students like you enroll in bachelor’s and master’s programs at Tier 1 universities in the USA. We have an award-winning international student support program that includes: