Nowadays, people are becoming more and more aware about the importance of great education from top ranking universities and hence UK comes to mind whenever international students plan to study further. But one cannot deny the fact that majority of excellent ranking UK universities are very expensive and if you do not have money to support your studies, you would look for scholarships. Hence here are some of the things which one must do to get a scholarship in UK; particularly if you have no idea about studying and applying in UK. This is coming from experience and I hope it will be helpful for you;
Do your research and plan in advance:
First of all, prepare for applying to courses and scholarships at a number of universities of your interest. Start with Google; which is the best in finding any answer.
- First look for the course you want to study and research about the UK universities offering the courses of your interest.
- Secondly; see if the courses offered have any scholarships associated with them. Most of the time you will find the funding opportunities affiliated with a course on the university’s website on “scholarship” tabs.
In this way you can make a list of scholarships offered, the university names and the courses of your interest. There are many external websites such as http://www.scholars4dev.com/ where you can find scholarships for developing countries. Thus do not rely on anyone and find information yourself and start preparing for application.
Fulfill the Scholarship Eligibility Requirements:
While doing your research, do not forget what the eligibility requirements of each are. Mostly you will have to be educated to a certain level; belong to a certain country and have the required English Language qualification or academic references to be eligible for a scholarship. Thus fulfill all the requirements first so that you can apply at a number of scholarships and courses. Keep in mind that missing even one eligibility requirement can eliminate your chances of getting a scholarship.
Know the Pros and Cons of Scholarships awarded:
This type of information can be found at the tab “What scholarship covers” when you are looking at a scholarship. Some are fully funded while some only take a part of your tuition fees. Keep in mind that some fully funded scholarships such as Commonwealth Scholarships or Chevening Scholarships cover each and everything associated with your study or travel costs, but they often require you to come back home after studies and you might work in UK while you avail these. If you plan to work immediately after studies, see if the fully funded scholarship will allow you so or not. Apply to any scholarship which fulfills your budget and career goals.
Apply to all for which you are eligible!
This is something which I did and it actually worked! Hence apply to as many courses and scholarships as you can by fulfilling all the requirements of each scholarship since it enhances the chances of you securing a scholarship. Just make sure that you do not reduce the quality of your applications in a hurry to apply for many. Take your time and apply with your best efforts. There is no harm in applying and anyone can be destined for you.
Believe in yourself and hope for the best!
Last but not the least, always believe in yourself and keep fighting for your dreams. After all the hard work you have put into, hope for the best and do not lose hope if you get initial rejections. Hard work always pays off. Another suggestion would be also rely on yourself and do not look for shortcuts for doing things such as asking for a research proposal or statement of purpose from a senior and then copying it. Seek for guidance, but do not copy anything or rely on other people for your life goals.
Best of luck in applying!
Best Wishes
Maha