Scholarships for All

A university scholarship in Great Britain can come from a number of organisations, so along with the universities themselves, there are international organisations, charitable trusts, foundations and non government organisations (NGOs) offering the chance to study with a funded subsidy. The list is extensive, with any qualified student being able to apply for a scholarship. Generally it is a funded course of study which has some benefit to the fund provider, but there are also university scholarships awarded for just being brilliant at your subject. For many students from outside the UK, the dream is to get a British university scholarship. The high level of education is one thing, but bringing home a degree from a British university can go along way to a bright career in their country.

The scholarship usually takes the form of covering tuition fees, and in some cases it also pays for the cost of a portion of accommodation and maintenance. This can amount to around £3,000 of funding, which is about average. Depending on the location of the university will determine the real value of that award. In a place like Aberystwyth, Wales then that’s not bad, but in London its real value is far less with the generally higher cost of living.

For the less well off families universities will offer a scholarship whereby there is a discount on fees. This subsidy can mean the difference between going to university or not. There’s no doubt that having a son or daughter at university for three to four years is a financial burden on parents, and some families simply cannot afford the costs. This is a great pity if the son or daughter has shown the potential to take their education further such that they have the opportunity for a much better job and better pay in the future.

Specific Scholarship Awards

Some awards are specific to a country and as an example of how an organisation can assure it is getting the best, this is an award for £25,000 from HSBC for an Indian national to study at the London School of Economics (LSE):

This scholarship has a value of £25,000 and is for Indian nationals who are resident in India. The successful candidate must be younger than 25 years of age on 1 September and have undertaken work experience within the Indian government. Candidates must be intending to study on an MSc programme in one of the following departments: - Department of Accounting - Department of Economics - Department of Finance of the LSE.

That’s huge prize, and probably a guaranteed job with HSBC in India afterwards, but bear in mind they are going to make this award to one person, in the whole of India. You have to be pretty special and very good at what you do to qualify for such an award, but someone has to get it. Another industry which offers scholarships is the pharmaceutical business. They will give research grants to chemists and those who are looking to make a career as a researcher. Again the rewards can be high, but the qualifications needed for such an award are also very high.