SCHOLARSHIPS: WHAT'S THE DEAL?

When we think scholarships, some of us automatically think high school quarterback getting his full-ride to an Ivy League, right? And to the rest of us, that means nothing at all.

Turns out it’s actually a misconception that scholarships are only for those lucky Americans. Students undertaking degrees in the UK can get them too, but you never hear as much about it.
 
Sure, they’re sort of the same things as bursaries and grants, terms which are tossed around a lot more. Essentially, it’s all free money. However, bursaries and grants are usually dished out automatically by universities and the government, whereas scholarships can often be privately run, and require jumping through a few hoops.

The hoops vary depending on the organisation awarding the cash, and the qualifiers can be as wild as the imagination of the organisations running them. Don’t be fooled by stereotypes, they aren’t given out just to the star quarterback and the mini Nobel laureates. You can get scholarships for:

1. Academic excellence: the little Einsteins, in whichever field. Pretty self-explanatory, but generally awarded to those who achieve specified grades in their A-Levels (or equivalent).
2. Sporting achievement: the top cross-country runners, wing attacks, open side flankers, defensive midfielders, chasers, beaters and seekers, who’ll be competing for the uni/wizarding education institution.
3. Musical scholarships: the cream-of-the-crop musicians who are expected to be gracing the concert halls with their dulcet tones during their degree. Bonus: no need to be studying Music.
4. Financial need: a lifeline for those who might not be able to afford the uni route without a little extra funding. These are closer to the standard grants and bursaries students might be more familiar with.
5. Personal circumstance: specific to each person, and pretty diverse ­– might be awarded by where individuals come from, the careers their parents are in, or their religion. There are loads of different options, and usually are awarded by local authorities and charities.
6. Company scholarships: for those who show employment potential. More companies are now running scholarship schemes, and they might include work placements as part of the deal. Might even get a job out of it at the end of the course.
7. Interests and hobbies: for the extra-curricular lovers. Scholarships are available to support those who are invested in social engagement and activism, and voluntary work.

 
So, where the heck is anyone supposed to start? The best thing to kick off your scholarship search with is a good old fashioned list. Begin by writing down a list of all your traits that might make you eligible for scholarship, and feel free to be a little wacky with your ideas. Career aspirations, interests, passions, fetishes? Go for it.
 
Honestly, there are no bad ideas in spit-balling. Don’t believe us? Well, in the UK there are scholarships awarded to vegetarians, lucky students with the surname ‘Menzies’, those who happen to be living in Westminster, and those with chemists as parents.
 
America has us trumped on the wackiest ones though, including the ‘Wear Duck Tape to Prom’ scholarship worth $5,000, and $10,000 up for grabs from the National Potato Council for a lucky student with an interest in potato-based research. Talk about making your uni experience as cheap as chips. Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves.  
 
Not a fan of lists? Another good resource is the Scholarship Hub’s funding search, which you can find on our scholarship page. Here, you can begin to narrow your options by uni if you know where you want to go, or by course if you know what you want to study. Go check it out for a decent starting point on your hunt for those extra dollar, dollar bills, y’all.