How Can You Finance Your Studies in the UK?
UK Scholarships Can Help!
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Lesson
Summary: |
All About Financing
The UK is Less Expensive
Studying in the UK is a great choice, for many reasons. One of these reasons is financing- tuition costs in the UK tend to be below £12,000 a year for science and technical courses and £9,000 for humanities courses. Comparatively, programs in the US and Canada can have tuition costs of up to $20,000 a year, or £14,000.
In addition, programs in the UK are shorter than those in the US, Canada, and other countries. At only 3 years for bachelor programs (US is 4-5 years) and 1 year for postgraduate ones (2 in the US), you'll save a lot of money by paying tuition for less years.
You can find out a lot about the costs of studying in the UK here.
But You'll Still Need Money
Although
much cheaper than the US and other alternatives, studying in the UK
can still be quite costly. One of the major factors involved is the
fact that you will be required to prove your ability to pay your
tuition and living expenses before being able to become an
international student.
Living expenses, especially in
the London areas and around the major universities, can easily add
up. There are solutions, like finding
employment, which will also help you gain
great experience. Securing loans is also an option. But there's one
thing everyone wants to finance their studies-
Scholarships.
Great UK Scholarships!
There are several different types of scholarships offered in the UK. It's important to actively search and inform yourself of as many scholarships as you can find- while there are many available, often you'll have to work hard to get them. Of course, since we're talking about money, the hard work is well worth the effort.
Institution-Specific Scholarships:
Most academic institutes in the UK will be happy to give entrance scholarships for students who have demonstrated high academic performance in the past. You may already be aware of such famous scholarships as the Marshall Scholarship or the Rhodes Scholarship (for Oxford University). Many institutions also have additional awards for specific areas of study.
For
some institutional awards, especially entrance ones, you won't even
have to apply- you'll be informed of whether you received an
entrance scholarship with your admission application results. On
the other hand, some schools will ask you to apply for their
awards, and include personal information, your academic
transcripts, and possibly submission essays and reference
letters.
Awards don't stop at entrance
scholarships- some schools will have special awards for the best
students entering their second and third years of studies. It's
important to contact the school and search the Scholarship and
Financial Aid page on their website for the complete
information.
Sample Institutional Scholarships:
- Scholarships for International Students at Stirling- Find out more here.
Government-Sponsored Scholarships:
Both
the governments of your home country and of the UK would like to
support successful international students. As a matter of fact, the
UK is constantly aiming to become the world's top spot for
international academics, and offering scholarships is a great way
of attracting the world's top minds. This means you can
benefit!
Scholarships are awarded on academic basis most often, and are usually conditional on the basis of being accepted to a program. You should check with the government websites of both the UK and your home country for information and opportunities. One well-known example of an international government-sponspored scholarship is the Commonwealth Scholarship, awarded to students from Commonwealth countries wishing to study in another Commonwealth country.
Here are some useful links:
- The British Council offers a comprehensive search tool and a lot of great scholarships for international students.
- You can find more examples of well-known scholarships on this page.
So Many Other Scholarships!
There is a countless amount of international scholarships out there, you just have to look hard enough! A lot of scholarships aren't country specific, so broaden your search as much as possible. Both your home country and the UK have a lot of great scholarship opportunities!
Useful Resources:
- The LearnHub scholarship community, which contains helpful lessons about how to locate, apply for, and win scholarships!
- Websites, like International scholarships or Scholarship-search. These help you find more information.
How Can You Get A Scholarship?
Important Tips
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- Start your search early! Scholarship deadlines range over the entire year. It's important to give yourself plenty of time to prepare a winning application. Starting at least a year ahead is a good idea.
- Apply successfully! Make sure you find out exactly what's needed in an application. Follow instructions carefully and supply all necessary documentation- your personal details, your admission details, visa details, financial documents, official grades and transcripts, reference letters, personal essays, etc.
- Don't miss out low scholarships! A lot of students don't bother applying for scholarships that seem like low amounts of money. The truth is, most scholarships are only worth £1,000-£2,500! Full scholarships are rare and incredibly hard to get, but focusing on 4-5 smaller scholarships is not only easier, it will make your amounts add up and can actually cover a good portion of your costs.
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Good
Luck on Finding Great UK Scholarships!
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