Financing your studies is probably one of the biggest worries I had when I was thinking about choosing a university. Will I be able to afford my course? What about my rent? Will I have something left for nights out? These questions haunted my mind when I got my offer to study here, at Bournemouth University. This is all maximised if you come from another country, like me, when you know you have to live on your own. Getting a scholarship changed everything.

Bournemouth University offers a range of scholarships for UK, EU and overseas undergraduate and postgraduate students to recognise academic excellence and help them to pursue the course they want at BU. From Management, to Health and Social, to Media, Music and Sports, there is a scholarship for every field. All you have to do is contact the university and send your application before the deadline.

Bournemouth University also offers the Academic Achievement Scholarship for all prospective students whose grade matches the criteria – which is the one I got awarded. You do not have to do anything to apply for it. Once you have your course offer, Bournemouth University assesses your grades automatically, and awards you the scholarship your grades meet a specific criteria. This counts for both undergrads and postgrads whether you are from UK, EU or overseas.

When I applied for my course, I did not know anything about this scholarship. It wasn’t until I got my unconditional offer that BU sent me an e-mail which said I got the scholarship.

Knowing I had a scholarship meant the world to me. It made me feel grateful and supported. It gave me a warm feeling to know Bournemouth University was backing me up and that they really wanted me to come and study here. Having a scholarship made it easier for me financially because I could pay my fee and rent without a loan, and I also got to save up money for trips and other activities, like joining the gym. This was a surprise for me as my old university in the Netherlands did not offer any scholarships. BU’s was definitely supportive, and they were always ready to help out with any enquiries.

So first steps in applying for your scholarship, head to Bournemouth University’s website, see which one is right for you, and if in any doubt, contact BU here. I would also recommend joining the International Facebook page and Instagram page which is run by BU’s Student Ambassadors.  There are Q&A sessions run throughout the year on different topics which I am sure you will find very useful. Hopefully it kick starts your journey to BU as it did for me.