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.
