If you are like me, one of the biggest questions I had to answer before committing to a degree in the UK was how to find the money! Forgive me for stating the obvious, but UK tuition is expensive…and it is rising every year. I managed to pull enough together in the forms of loans and one small (Canadian) government grant to cover the one year of my masters course. Now I am applying to do a PhD and unfortunately the math just doesn’t work out well. One year is one thing, but three more…not even close to possible. In order to continue I NEED help. So my new past time? Searching for anyone anything anywhere to help me! It can be worth it to know what is available at any level of study…granted, the further up you go in your studies, the more there is available, but either way, it is good to know your options.
The first place to look is university websites – Essex has a scholarship finder tool that helps to narrow down your search based on your degree, nationality etc.
Unfortunately for me it only brings up two possibilities. The first being a sports scholarship (and I am decidedly unathletic!) The second is the Essex Social Science Research Scholarship. While there is money available, and it is worth applying, the unfortunate financial reality in this country means less and less is available every year (that is the apparent trend at least…)
My point is not to be gloomy, but to emphasize how important it is to continue the search. You never know what is out there. A piece of advice I received recently… no scholarship is ever too small. People tend to gravitate towards the large amounts and so there are mountains of applicants for those scholarships, while the smaller ones or those that require you to write an essay often have fewer applicants and therefore less competition…and small amounts can add up!!! When I see an essay requirement, first I groan, then I try to think how much I would earn per hour of essay writing if I were successful...
Anyway, moving on… There are all kinds of scholarship and grant finders online. Probably ones that you find in your own country’s Google search are the most relevant, but this is an example:
There also exists a Grant Bible (aka The Grants Register)…. This amazingly thorough resource is unfortunately not available online, but is certainly available in all university libraries and possibly public libraries in the UK. (Its coverage is worldwide, maybe it is at your uni library too…?) You can catch a glimpse of its amazingness online… but sorry, no Google Books preview… L
http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=402973
If you need to chuckle at the enormousness of the financial commitment, check this one out:
If you need to chuckle at the enormousness of the financial commitment, check this one out:
If you need financial help in order to come to the UK next year, now is the time to be looking and applying. Don’t assume there is nothing out there… there are research councils and charities galore… you just have to find the ones that are applicable to you. If you know of a useful site please share the link in the comments section!
Emily
Emily
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