Scholarships and funding, and avoiding scams

University is a major cost, but there is real help available if you start early, search in the right places and apply carefully. There are also people who try to profit from anxious students, so knowing the warning signs protects you.

Know the words

• UCAS explains that a scholarship usually rewards achievement in academics, sport or music, and may help with living costs or tuition.
• A bursary is usually based on low household income or personal circumstances such as disability, and is often a one-off payment towards some living costs.
• A grant is often linked to a specific purpose, such as studying abroad, and is typically offered by charities or trusts.
• UCAS notes that these words are often used loosely, so always read each award's own terms.

Where to look

• Start with the university itself. UCAS reports that 80% of students who received a scholarship or bursary found out about it from their university or college. Ask at open days and read the funding pages.
• The British Council's Study UK site says undergraduate funding for international students is less common than postgraduate funding, but it exists, mainly from UK universities themselves or from governments and organisations in your home country.
• University scholarships may be for academic merit, sport, music or performing arts, specific subjects, or disability, according to the British Council.
• For the US, EducationUSA says applications for financial aid go together with applications for admission, so you must plan funding at the same time as you apply.
• Emirati students can apply for MoHESR's National Scholarship Programme to Study Abroad through the National Unified Registration System, according to the UAE Government portal. Some employers, emirate-level bodies and foundations also sponsor students; check their official websites.

Applying well

• Make a funding spreadsheet: award name, provider, eligibility, amount, deadline, documents needed and the official link.
• Read eligibility first. The British Council advises checking criteria carefully and tailoring each application to the specific scholarship.
• Reuse your best material, but answer the exact question each time. A generic essay is easy to spot.
• Ask referees early, give them your CV and the award details, and thank them afterwards.
• Apply for several awards, including smaller ones. Many small awards can add up.

Scholarship scams: the warning signs

• The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns about offers that say 'the scholarship is guaranteed or your money back'. No real scholarship is guaranteed.
• It also warns about 'I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship', 'You can't get this information anywhere else' and 'We'll do all the work. You just pay a processing fee.'
• Being told you are a finalist in a competition you never entered is another sign of a scam, says the FTC.
• The FTC's rule is simple: never pay to apply for a scholarship. Free help is often available from your school counsellor or the university's financial aid office.
• If you think you have been targeted, stop contact, tell a parent or counsellor, and see the Scams and Fraud module for how to report it in the UAE.