Category Archives: Funding

There are many different sources of financial support for study and work abroad such as support offered by the UK government in the form of loans and grants, as well as links to information on the European Commission’s Erasmus mobility programme and other funded international opportunities.

Kennedy Scholarships 2016-17

Applications are invited for Kennedy Scholarships to enable British citizens, educated in the UK, to take graduate programmes across the full range of Schools and courses at Harvard and MIT

Kennedy Scholarships comprise full tuition and health insurance fees, a generous stipend for living, a contribution to transatlantic travel and a discretionary grant for vacation travel in the USA. They are part of the British national memorial to President Kennedy and have been awarded annually in competition since 1965 with many former scholars now in leading positions.

Up to 10 awards will be offered for 2016-17.

All applicants must have studied at a UK University or University College. In addition, they may be: studying for a first degree and due to graduate in the academic year 2015-2016, or a graduate of a UK university or university college who has completed a first degree not earlier than 2011 and who will have spent at least 2 of the 7 academic years prior to 01.09.2016 at a UK university or university college.

Awards will not be made to postdoctoral candidates wishing to pursue further research in their own field.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen programmes and, in addition to their Kennedy Scholarship application, should submit a separate and independent application to their preferred School, meeting all deadlines etc.

A Kennedy Scholarship does not guarantee admission to Harvard or MIT.

Applications must be submitted online at www.kennedytrust.org.uk by 23.59 on 28th October 2015.

Contact details for 2 referees must be supplied who will be emailed automatically once an application is submitted.

Full information about the award and how to apply is on the website.

Daiwa Scholarships 2016

The Daiwa Scholarship is a unique 19-month programme of language study, work placement and homestay in Japan, following a month of Japanese language tuition in the UK. Daiwa Scholarships offer young and talented UK citizens with strong leadership potential, the opportunity to acquire Japanese language skills, and to access expertise and knowledge relevant to their career goals.

The selected Daiwa Scholars will undertake a month of Japanese language study in the UK during August 2016 before moving to Japan in mid-September 2016 for the remainder of the Scholarship.

No previous experience of Japan or Japanese is necessary. 

You can find a link to the Daiwa Scholarship flyer here. The link to the online application notes and form can be found here. The Foundation is also happy to provide advice about possible applications – please contact scholarships@dajf.org.uk.

If you are interested in applying you should attend the briefing organised by the Daiwa Foundation in Sheffield on

Wednesday 28 October 2015, 12:00pm
LTE Hicks Building
More info: http://www.shef.ac.uk/careers

The closing date for the 2016 programme will be Thursday 3 December 2015.

Scholarships misconceptions

Very few students know exactly what scholarships they could apply for and subsequently miss out on funding which could help to finance opportunities beyond their wildest dreams; so what are the most common misconceptions, and how can we debunk them?

1. Scholarships are only for the most academically gifted students

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A lot of students believe that the sole criteria for applying for scholarships and the awarding body’s motivation behind allocating financial backing is merely the achievement of high grades, which isn’t always the case. Scholarship awarding organisations look for a range of candidates and base their decisions on other factors, including: income, where you live and what your area of study is.

2. The number of scholarships available is very limited

There are more than 8,000 scholarships available for the students to apply for in the EU, with many of the schemes undersubscribed. Although some have particular criteria, through researching relevant funding databases (such as those on: www.european-funding-guide.eu then you can filter out the ones which aren’t applicable.

3. You have to be involved in community work to be eligible

Although some scholarships linked to social work and the community will require some evidence of you working in your locality, many scholarships won’t have this as a requirement (not to say that we’d discourage it!)

4. The funding amount will be too low

The amount of funding that you can receive from scholarship awarding bodies can vary greatly, from one off payments to monthly sums which can help to supplement your living costs. Some scholarships will even allow you to apply for other schemes to help make up the short fall, so make sure you read up on the criteria.

5. I have to be in financial distress to apply

Although there are some awards in place to help students from low income backgrounds or financial difficulty, not all scholarships are means tested. Some awards may exist to help promote a certain career path or profession, or to support students from certain places.

 

Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships

If you’re unsure about what country to consider studying in for placement, then check out the three below; you can apply for funding as a UK citizen to help finance your studies, which can make a big difference to your wallet.

Under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP), scholarships and fellowships are offered to citizens of the United Kingdom to study in other Commonwealth countries.commonwealth-flags

If you are a UK citizen and are interested in any of these opportunities, please email csfpout@acu.ac.uk to register your interest and be sent information as soon as it is available.

The CSC is promoting these scholarships for UK citizens only. Citizens of other Commonwealth countries should contact their national nominating agencies – more information is available on the CSFP website.

Study in America

Are you a post-graduate student thinking about continuing your studies? Do you fancy doing so in the United States of America? If so, read on!

Created by treaty on 22 September 1948, the US-UK Educational Commission (Fulbright Commission) fosters mutual cultural understanding through educational exchange between both nations.student-us_2757723b

American universities are becoming increasingly popular for UK and international students. Last year, over 9,400 UK students and over 700,000 total international students chose American universities for their studies.

For UK citizens, you can apply for Fulbright awards for postgraduate study, lecturing, professional exchange or research in the USA. International students are encouraged to use their advisory service, but non-UK citizens are required to apply in their country of citizenship, even if they are resident in the UK.

For an interesting insight into student life and experience in America, here’s a link to a case study of a student who took the plunge: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/10500104/Student-life-why-study-in-America.html

If you’d like to find further information about the opportunity to get funding to continue your studies in the US, then you can find out more here: http://www.fulbright.org.uk/

Study China

This three week programme offers the opportunity to interact with Chinese students, academic staff, local families and businesses, providing profound access to this fascinating country. Throughout the programme you will be immersed in a vibrant campus environment at a leading Chinese University.

Visit http://www.studychina.org.uk for more information

Study India

The intensive three week programme is designed to be applicable to students of all interests and backgrounds. In previous years Study India has had everyone from fashion students to astrophysicists participating.

One of the great strengths of the experience is students’ chance to make friends from universities across the UK and people of an extraordinary diversity of interests and backgrounds.

Visit http://studyindia.co.uk for more information