How to make a university scholarship application stand out

Over the last 12 months, the UK’s emphasis on scholarships has increased more dramatically than in previous years. With the cost-of-living crisis exacerbating the already expensive commitment of pursuing a university degree, stakeholders outside of the education sector have taken notice and begun to step in.

In November, we saw the unveiling of Santander’s new Education Strategy, which included a multi-million pound scholarship programme. Even UK grime artist, Stormzy, is getting involved by funding dozens of scholarships for Black students at Cambridge.

However, even with more opportunities opening up for learners, the market for scholarships is still small and very competitive. So, here’s some guidance which will point students in the direction of the right opportunities and help them to maximise their chance of securing the awards by smashing their applications.

The scholarships marketplace is fractured – most funders have not got behind a collective approach just yet. As such, searching for scholarships can be tricky.

For students who have already secured a place at university, the first port of call should always be the university itself. Many universities have a wide array of bursaries, grants and scholarships for students to apply for, depending on their circumstances. Unfortunately, using traditional website navigation can be challenging. Instead, try googling the name of the university + scholarships, i.e., “King’s College London scholarships”, which usually does the trick!

For students who have not yet chosen their university course, and for those who feel as though finances are a barrier between them and university, you can recommend using a scholarships aggregator to search for opportunities. Websites such as Blackbullion’s Funding Hub, The Scholarship Hub and even the British Council.

We work with providers from both the higher education and private sectors, and both sides give us the same answer when it comes to what makes an application stand out: a student who shares their genuine story with the funder. Particularly when it comes to widening participation focused scholarships, the funders want to know why the student is applying and, more importantly, how the scholarship will help the student to achieve their goals.

Sharing experiences about their families, personal achievements and aspirations will help their application. And linking their career goals to the subject they’ve chosen to study demonstrates a commitment to their education and their future, which goes a long way with funders.

Another excellent way for students to stand out is to show off their knowledge and research of the funder. Each scholarship application is different, so demonstrating to the funder that their application is for them and them only will ensure that the student is noticed.

Another important note is to remember to provide evidence. Many scholarships will be targeted at students who require the additional funding due to personal circumstances. In these situations, most funders will ask for evidence of the students’ financial situation, which may include bank statements, SLC Entitlement Letters and photo ID’s and getting them ready to go to speed up the process!

One final word of advice. There are a lot of students and too few opportunities out there. Students should apply for as many scholarships and bursaries as possible, for the best chance of success.

Caution: Reviewers can tell when students use artificial intelligence on their scholarship applications! That doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t use Chat GPT to assist with their applications, but it does mean that they need to be careful.