So, once you’ve made it through Clearing in one piece, it’s time to relax, right? Well, you’re almost there. Once you’ve got a confirmed offer from BU it’s time to consider applying for university funding.

I know that after going through the stress of Clearing, all you’ll want to do is sit down and bask in the excitement of going to uni. However, a bursary or scholarship can dramatically change your university experience; certainly in my case it helped everything run a little more smoothly and made the difference between being able to go out and have fun with my friends or having to scrounge money for rent.

BU offers a range of bursaries, as well as scholarships for those outstandingly gifted in sports or music. Having been lucky enough to be accepted for a maintenance bursary after gaining a place through Clearing, I’m here to share some helpful hints and tips about your application and hopefully set you on the right track.

• You deserve this – Just because you came through clearing, it doesn’t mean that you’re any less entitled to university funding than anyone else.
• You’ve got nothing to lose – If you think that you deserve any funding, then apply. You don’t want to kick yourself later for not trying!
• Respond quickly – In some instances BU may need you, or your parents, to send proof of your eligibility and the faster you get that done, the sooner you’ll get a confirmation.
• Don’t be ashamed – I found that when I was applying it was a little embarrassing basically saying I needed financial help from the uni, but that’s what it’s there for. The bursaries are there to help and give you that little bit of support you may need and I can’t stress enough the difference they can make.
• Don’t squander it – Getting through your first payment of student loans is exciting enough, for a lot of you it’ll be the biggest sum of money you’ve ever received in one go, but this goes for your bursaries or scholarships too. Don’t go out and splurge on a new wardrobe or the latest xbox. The scholarships particularly are there to help you nurture your talent and looking back it would be such a shame to let that fade away on a whim.

Take a look at bursaries and scholarships and start applying once you’ve got a confirmed offer.

By Alex Curwen-Reed

You can find out more about Clearing on our website.