Over the last 12 months, the UK’s emphasis on
scholarships has increased more dramatically
than in previous years. With the cost-of-living
crisis exacerbating the already expensive
commitment of pursuing a university degree,
stakeholders outside of the education sector
have taken notice and begun to step in.
In November, we saw the unveiling of
Santander’s new Education Strategy, which
included a multi-million pound scholarship
programme. Even UK grime artist, Stormzy,
is getting involved by funding dozens of
scholarships for Black students at Cambridge.
However, even with more opportunities
opening up for learners, the market for
scholarships is still small and very competitive.
So, here’s some guidance which will point
students in the direction of the right
opportunities and help them to maximise their
chance of securing the awards by smashing
their applications.
The scholarships marketplace is fractured –
most funders have not got behind a collective
approach just yet. As such, searching for
scholarships can be tricky.
For students who have already secured
a place at university, the first port of call
should always be the university itself. Many
universities have a wide array of bursaries,
grants and scholarships for students to
apply for, depending on their circumstances.
Unfortunately, using traditional website
navigation can be challenging. Instead,
try googling the name of the university +
scholarships, i.e., “King’s College London
scholarships”, which usually does the trick!
For students who have not yet chosen their
university course, and for those who feel as
though finances are a barrier between them
and university, you can recommend using
a scholarships aggregator to search for
opportunities. Websites such as Blackbullion’s
Funding Hub, The Scholarship Hub and even
the British Council.
We work with providers from both the higher education and private sectors, and both sides give us the same answer when it comes to what makes an application stand out: a student who shares their genuine story with the funder. Particularly when it comes to widening participation focused scholarships, the funders want to know why the student is applying and, more importantly, how the scholarship will help the student to achieve their goals.
Sharing experiences about their families, personal achievements and aspirations will help their application. And linking their career goals to the subject they’ve chosen to study demonstrates a commitment to their education and their future, which goes a long way with funders.
Another excellent way for students to stand out is to show off their knowledge and research of the funder. Each scholarship application is different, so demonstrating to the funder that their application is for them and them only will ensure that the student is noticed.
Another important note is to remember to provide evidence. Many scholarships will be targeted at students who require the additional funding due to personal circumstances. In these situations, most funders will ask for evidence of the students’ financial situation, which may include bank statements, SLC Entitlement Letters and photo ID’s and getting them ready to go to speed up the process!
One final word of advice. There are a lot of students and too few opportunities out there. Students should apply for as many scholarships and bursaries as possible, for the best chance of success.
Caution: Reviewers can tell when students use artificial intelligence on their scholarship applications! That doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t use Chat GPT to assist with their applications, but it does mean that they need to be careful.
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