Money is one of the important factors that influences the choice of a university. As an international student, pursuing my postgraduate degree in UK meant managing finance was a top priority. Tuition fee is a major expense when planning a higher education budget. While shortlisting universities to apply to, scholarships on offer were a major deciding factor for me. Scholarships are a great way of acknowledging that your hard work paid for itself. BU offers a wider range of scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Depending on your undergraduate scores, the Academic Excellence Scholarship may qualify you for a £3,500 deduction in postgraduate tuition fee. Upon submission of my application, I was glad to receive the news of obtaining the Academic Excellence Scholarship, without even applying for it!

Another factor for choosing to apply to BU was the opportunity of acquiring a 50% fee reduction through the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences Executive Dean’s Scholarship. The possibility of paying just half of the designated tuition fee would work wonders on my budget and considerably improve my savings. This scholarship is available to EU and international students in different faculties. But only few students can qualify for it and it requires submission of an application within a set deadline. As per the instructions, I submitted an application highlighting my academic, professional and extra-curricular achievements. I was overjoyed when I received an email confirming that I bagged that scholarship. It was one of the defining moments that affirmed that applying to BU was the right decision for me. Here are some tips that I used for my scholarship application:

• Even before you start writing, mark your calendar for the deadline. Don’t wait until the last minute. Late submission will present a bad impression and your application might not even be considered.
• Read the application guidelines in depth. Pay attention to the word limit and structure your application accordingly.
• Make a list of your accolades in different fields and start your application with your strongest achievement.
• Due to the restricted word limit, the goal is to weave a summary of the life story of your achievements, personal goals, road blocks, and motivation.
• Link your chosen course to your achievements and show how it will help you with your future aspirations.
• Your application should echo your voice. Remember, passion from a genuine piece of writing is undeniable.

Good Luck!