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Dear HND Graduate(s),

It is a common misconception that as a HND graduate/student, you are at a disadvantage academically, because preferences are given to BSc graduates both in terms of employment and scholarship opportunities. Well, this post will seek to demystify the misconception around the idea, talk more on fully funded opportunities for HND graduates and the process to get these opportunities, so it might be quite lengthy.

When it comes to fully funded educational opportunities, the USA is far ahead of every other country. The US boasts of over 5000+ institutions with fundings across departments, facilities and institutions that opens room for professors in these departments/faculties to recruit graduate students & research assistants to assist them achieve these research goals. Unlike the USA, Canada only boasts of 101 universities which means lesser fundings compared to their North American big brother.

How can HND graduates access these fundings?

1. Cold mailing professors has been the most effective method for accessing these fundings. This is usually done by sending email(s) to different professors in a specific research field where you have built a portfolio over years of work and volunteering experience stating your interests, experiences, awards, certifications related to the field of interest, publications and references all outlined in an academic CV and your unofficial academic transcripts. While this has been proven effective, it is usually encouraged to send to more professors to increase chances of being responded to, because in some cases, rejections could abound and discouragement could sent in.

2. WES (World Education Services) Evaluation, is a non-profit organization specializing in the evaluation of foreign educational credentials. Their primary function is to assess and verify academic credentials from individuals who have studied outside of the United States or Canada. WES evaluates transcripts, degrees, and other educational documents to determine their equivalence in the North American education system.

The WES Evaluation is offered in two types; Course-by-Course Evaluation and Document-by-Document Evaluation. The Course-by-Course Evaluation is usually done for educational and professional purposes which helps to eliminate unnecessary courses and grades, hence, boosting your CGPA which gives you a better chance at securing admission through conversion to a U.S. based CGPA grading scale. On the other hand, the Document-by-Document Evaluation is more basic and is suitable for general purposes like immigration or employment where a detailed course breakdown may not be necessary.

Below are the list of USA universities that require WES evaluated HND transcripts;

South Dakota University

St Cloud State University, Minnesota

University of Central Florida

University of Memphis

North Carolina A&T University

Georgia Southern University

California State University, Channel Island

Fairfield University, Connecticut

Chicago State University, Illinois

Florida A&M University

Florida Atlantic University

Middle Tennessee State University

New Mexico State University

Indiana State University

Northeastern Illinois University, Kentucky

San Diego State University, California

Minnesota State University, Mankato

St John’s University, Texas

Baylor University, Texas

George Mason University, Virginia

Marquette University

University of Arkansas, Little Rock

American University, Washington

Queens University of Charlotte

Iowa State University

East Carolina University

University of Incarnate Word, Texas

Missouri State University

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Bentley University

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy

Oakland University, Michigan

Santa Clara University, California

Sam Houston University

Tennessee State University

University of Hartford

University of Louisville, Kentucky

University of Nevada, Las Vega

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Roosevelt University, Chicago

Long Island University, New York

Texas A&M College Station, Texas

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

University of New Haven, Connecticut

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Drexel University

Rutgers University

St John’s University, Queens New York.

List of Top Universities in the USA that accepts unofficial HND transcripts without WES evaluation:

The University Oklahoma

Illinois State University

University of Minnesota

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Northern Illinois University

University of Connecticut

Purdue University

University of Arizona

University of Cincinnati

University of Nebraska- Omaha

University of South Florida

South Carolina University

Northern Arizona University

Kent State University

Miami University, Ohio

University of Vermont

University of Kansas

Kansas State University

As a HND graduate seeking fully funded opportunities abroad, these two methods are effective in securing graduate studies in the USA and Canada. It is also very important to check for the requirements of each department, faculty and university before proceeding with your applications to avoid time and resources wasting.

Start applying today.

Have a great day.