Your scholarship search should not be a once and once only activity. Scholarships change all the time and new ones are being created, so if you search once and then stop, you could be missing out on scholarships you might be eligible for and therefore potential additional funds for your studies.
1. Make a list of all the reasons you might be eligible for a scholarship
This can be all sorts of reasons such as academic merit, financial need, sporting or musical achievement and your personal circumstances – this could be anything from special needs, your family background, what your parents do, where you come from, your religion, your interests/hobbies or community work.
2. Check out your university website
If you know where you will be studying and the subject, then start at that university website. Check out what they offer: these might be general scholarships or specific to your subject. Subject scholarships are usually listed on the faculty pages whilst general ones are more likely to be under Fees and Funding on the main website. If you don’t know where or what you are going to be studying and you just want to compare what different universities offer then you can start on The Scholarship Hub, which brings together scholarships from all the universities.
3. Think more generally
There are many scholarships which are open to students at all universities, studying any subject. You will not always find these advertised on university websites as it is not their purpose to advertise other organisations’ scholarships, but you will find them on our database by selecting “no specific university” as the institution and “no specific subject” as the course. This will give you a list of all the scholarships open to all students.
4. Your career aspirations
Do you know what you want to do for your career? If so, check out the professional institutions, to see if they offer scholarships. Many are starting to offer scholarships to encourage new talent into the industry or to recruit graduates. Many of these will be listed in the general scholarship search explained above, but you can also select a particular subject, leaving the institution as “open to any university” and you may find some more specific ones open to all students studying a particular subject. You can also search for any professional associations or institutions you may know of specific to your career ambitions and see if they list any scholarships on their website.
5. Charities & Trusts
There are literally thousands of charities and trusts in the UK which offer grants for different reasons. Many of these will be for educational or welfare purposes. The grants are typically smaller than a scholarship, but even a small amount could make a difference. Applying to charities and trusts is a time-consuming process. You need to write a tailored letter to each one, showing how you meet their eligibility criteria, but in the long run, it could be worth it for you. A bit of perseverance can pay off. You can find a list of these in the Directory of Educational Grants which is a book found in most reference libraries.
6. Don’t stop looking
Just because you search for scholarships once and don’t find anything, doesn’t mean there won’t be anything in the future. Sign up to Blackbullion and browse the Funding Hub regularly for new scholarships. You can also sign up for the funding opportunities newsletter for new scholarships directly to your email inbox.
