How I Paid for 13+ Years of Academic Travel: Strategies You Can Use to Fully-Fund Your Studies Abroad
Introduction
In this post, I share my experiences of funding various study programs I’ve completed over the years. I believe transparency here is important, as it can help remove mental barriers people might face when considering if a particular opportunity is available to them.
If you'd like learn more, I created the Ultimate Guide to Funding Your Master's Degree. It's a 70+ page resource with strategic advice, actionable steps, and case studies. It's everything I know about funding a study abroad. Part of this also available for preview as a Guide to Negotiating Financial Aid for free.
Strategy No. 1: Turn a Competition Win into study abroad opportunity
From a Law Olympiad to the English School in London
My first academic trip abroad was to study English in London after my first year of university. Our curriculum included two years of academic English, and our English teacher invited students to join a study group traveling to London. She had a partnership with the Burlington School of English. Eager to improve my English, I signed up, thought I had to fund the trip myself.
Previously, I had won several national law competitions, each offering cash prizes. For example, winning the federal round of the All-Russian Olympiad in law in 11th grade earned me RUB 60,000 (around $2,000 at the time), while the regional prize was RUB 24,000 (about $800). I used these winnings to cover the costs of the trip, which some additional support from my grandmother chipped (she lived on retirement benefits, and I have no idea how she was able to save any, knowing the Russian pension standards – but she did).
In a way, I was lucky everything aligned, as I couldn’t have possibly planned this out. I joined the competitions for the intellectual challenge and because the top prize guaranteed admission to any faculty of law in the country. I couldn’t have possibly anticipated that an olympiad would win me money to fund a study abroad trip later.
I think this story illustrates how one academic achievement can open doors to another. It also shows how efforts pursued for their own sake can have unexpected, positive ripple effects.
Strategy No. 2: Knock on Doors until one opens
How We Funded a Moot Court Trip to Cuba
Funding our team's trip to Cuba for the Concours Charles-Rousseau moot court is probably one of the best illustrations of my personal mantra:
Opportunities are made, not taken.
If an opportunity exists, by all means, seize it. But often, it’s not an option. Sometimes, nothing exists that can make your goals and dreams happen. When I share this view, people often respond, ‘it's easy for you to say.'
So, here is a story from 10 years ago.
In 2014, I was coaching a team for the Charles-Rousseau moot court. In Russia, preparing for such competitions is especially hard due to limited access to resources - no English journal subscriptions, few books, and almost no funding (I talk about it in depth here). Universities don’t usually fund their teams, and only a handful of firms are willing to contribute.
The first time I coached, the competition was held in Sceaux, France, and I funded the team's expenses, covering participation and lodging fees with a few thousand euros I'd managed to save.
The next year, however, the moot court was to be held in Cuba. Flights were too, and I couldn’t fund the team again, so I decided to step back. Then, one of the students approached me, eager to participate and promising to secure funding if I would coach. I reluctantly agreed. Months passed with no progress, but he didn't give up. While I was coaching, he was knocking and knocking on doors. Finally, he found a sponsor: a small education fund that agreed to support us.
We went to Cuba and had an incredible experience, pleading on the issues of international law and connecting with students worldwide. Our combined efforts - his relentless search for funds and my coaching - created an opportunity that didn't exist before.
At the time, I didn’t have the reputation I have now, nor did he. Yet, we made it happen. We created an opportunity for ourselves and for other people that had not existed before.
I guess, the bottom line is, you don’t have to wait until you are high up to make things happen. You can just start – and see how it goes.
Strategy No. 3: Use a rejection to fuel my search for funding
Volunteer Program in Ilmenau
After my third year of law school, I joined a volunteer program in a small German town called Ilmenau.
Here's the backstory: Moscow State University had a two-year joint non-degree program with the University of Regensburg. You had to attend German law lectures taught by visiting professors from Regensburg, take exams, pass an interview and, if selected, join a fully-funded summer school or go on a fully-funded research trip to Regensburg.
The second I learned about this program, I knew I had to go. I didn't speak German at the time, but this opportunity motivated me to start learning it. After the first year, I attended the summer school in Regensburg, which was a fantastic experience.
Unfortunately, the next year, I was busy with another commitment (the Concours Charles-Rousseau), missed lectures, and wasn't awarded the scholarship to Regensburg. I knew it was to be expected but was still devastated. Initially, I was in denial: There must have been a mistake! They’ll surely email me any day and say a spot opened up for me. Then, I got angry. How can they deny me a scholarship? I worked so hard. Finally, I moved on to constructive action. Ok, I still wanted to go to Germany that summer and improve my language skills. What could I do?
I decided to take matters into my own hands and explore other options. With a tight budget, I looked into volunteer programs - I'd heard about them from a friend. I found four NGOs that coordinated volunteer opportunities in Russia and abroad and emailed them all. I got replies from two and decided to go with one.
I found a summer camp in Ilmenau, organized by students at TU Ilmenau, focused on renovating a student club. I submitted my very first motivation letter to them, got accepted, applied for a visa, bought my ticket (using the award money I got for active participation in the Scientific Society of the faculty of law), and went to Ilmenau.
The organizing team provided food and lodging, and I only needed pocket money and flight tickets. I spent three amazing weeks there doing light renovations. Over that summer, I made a lot of new friends, improved my English and German, participated in a beer-drinking competition on the Kickelhahn mountain, and even learned some juggling (the organizers went out of their way to make our stay interesting 😉).
I guess, the main point of this story is, don’t accept limitations. Acknowledge their reality but treat them as givers of form. See what you can do with them. There are often multiple ways to achieve what you want.
Strategy No. 4: Have a Bias for Inclusion
How I Secured $28,000 Scholarship for Harvard
The scholarship I received from the Russia–United States Legal Education Foundation (RUSLEF) highlights another principle I follow in my applications: a 'bias for inclusion.' This means, if I see an opportunity and am unsure about my eligibility, I lean toward applying anyway.
When looking for funding for Harvard, I found the RUSLEF scholarship. It was unique in a sense that it only applied to Russian lawyers, a severely underfunded category of people. However, the eligibility rules were vague. The website only mentioned it’d cover living expenses, with no clear conditions. I applied, listing my Harvard and NYU offers.
During my interview, I learned that RUSELF typically partnered with five U.S. law schools, negotiated a tuition waiver with them, and then paid for living expenses. Harvard wasn’t their partner institution. Nonetheless, they reviewed my application and decided to make an exception for me, awarding me $28,000 for living expenses.
The takeaway: rules are sometimes more flexible than they appear. It's worth asking.
For more insights, my Ultimate Guide to Funding Your Master’s Degree includes strategies for negotiating financial aid, along with an email template.
Strategy No. 5: Apply for programs that are already funded
Many of the programs I’ve pursued were about ceasing pre-existing opportunities.
Here are a few examples:
1. DAAD scholarships for Humboldt University of Berlin
My university, Moscow State, had a partnership with Humboldt, offering scholarships for a semester there. I won a scholarship in my final year of law school to work on my thesis, then another during my PhD for additional research. This process involved a rigorous application in German, including a motivation letter, project proposal, CV, recommendations, and an interview.
2. Other short-term programs
I also received scholarships for
- Paris Arbitration Academy, summer school;
- The Hague Academy of International Law, summer school;
- The Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, research stay, twice;
- The UNIDROIT Institute in Rome, research stay.
Each of these programs required separate applications for admission and scholarships. I often had to apply multiple times to secure funding, especially with institutions like the Max Planck and UNIDROIT.
Strategy No. 6: interning in brussels
My Unpaid Start in Arbitration
Right after graduating from Moscow State University, I completed a three-month internship in Brussels at the Association for International Arbitration. Eager to build a career in arbitration, I applied to multiple arbitration institutions across Europe and secured this position. Although the internship was unpaid, a manager negotiated for my flight costs to be covered. However, I had to fund the rest, with help from my father. I rented a room for €460 (the conversion rate from ruble to euro was more or less decent at the time) and covered daily expenses myself. This was one of the very few programs where I didn't receive a scholarship and that my family contributed to.
Actionable Takeaways
The main takeaways I’d like to leave you with here are:
- Exception is the rule: Funding often has rule, but there are many exceptions. Use that insight to liberate yourself from preconceived notions about what’s accessible and what’s not.
- Look for funded programs: Sometimes you choose a program first and then look for funding. However, if funding is an issue, see what’s funded first and then go after it.
- Cease or create an opportunity: If opportunity exists, cease it. If not, try to create one. Maybe, it works. Maybe, it doesn’t. At the very least you’ll know you tried every possible route.
- Acknowledge the existence of limits that are beyond your control: Accessibility of many opportunities will depend on factors you cannot influence. Recognize it as a valid obstacle and don’t beat yourself up for not being as successful as you wish you were.
- Have a bias for inclusion: When eligibility isn’t clear, reach out and ask. Clarify and even negotiate when possible.
If you'd like learn more, my Ultimate Guide to Funding Your Master's Degree offers 70 pages+ of strategies, actionable advice, and case studies. It's everything I know about funding a study abroad. A portion of it is also published independently as a Guide to Negotiating Financial Aid for preview.
Now, go and get that money. And I'll be waiting. 😉
