Studies Without Scholarships - Essay Example

Funding Postgraduate Studies Funding Ph.D. Studies without Scholarships Are you struggling with your fees, research, and maintenance costs for you postgraduate studies? Consider getting help from foundations, trusts, and charities. Most things in life including postgraduate studies depend on the availability of money. For students who are not among the lucky 15% who have access, to full scholarships, the question of where to get resources to fund your studies remains unanswered. Activities involved in the studying process are money-demanding and costs more than £1000 a month. For international students, the costs are probably £2000 a month. Getting the money is challenging and unless one accesses a Career Development Loan, borrowing the money at any rate remains challenging given the current economic difficulties. Getting a worthy part-time job that will accommodate the time for studies is also equally impossible. One can then wonder how those without scholarships are supposed to survive given the huge bills. They keep worrying how and when they will manage to finish their courses. I was also in the same paradox barely six months into my History Ph.D. studies at King’s College, London. Funding Postgraduate Studies from Charities One solution to the mystery of funding postgraduate studies is sourcing for funds from alternative bodies such as trusts, foundations, and charities. It is easy to state that, but hard to do. I sourced for charity from the links provided in my university. It was, however, hard, and I was almost ineligible for all of them because they had restrictions such as on courses and nationalities. The only charities that I was eligible for were only three; Gilchrist Trust, Sidney Perry University, and Lawrence Atwell’s Charity. There were also additional problems as I had no mentor to guide me through the application and which one was most appropriate. The only information was from a guide titled ‘Prospects Essential Guide for Student Funding’. The guide was also not of great as it only had two pages about charities. From almost all sources and everyone, they indicated charities and trusts as reputable sources of funding, but none detailed how. There were plenty of treasures in the jungle, but the way onto them was missing. At some point, I became desperate and hopeless. I could not figure out how to benefit from the bodies. Sidney Perry foundation, for example, indicates that for every two twenty applications, only one succeeds. For the Southdown Trust, they caution that their awards cannot exceed £100. It seemed useless spending several days working on the modalities of how to get the funding. At some time, I thought working for extra hours in a bar would be better. I, however, decided to push on, and within the next three years, I got 40 awards from different bodies. The awards of about £40,000 have seen fund my Ph.D. studies for up to the research council levels. I am not stating the amount as a way of boasting, but showing the potentials of the charities. I am privileged to have this support, and I am enthusiastic on helping other students use these sources of funding for their Masters and Ph.Ds. as I did. Realities and Myths about Trusts and Charities As earlier stated, there is hardly any information available on trusts and charities. Postgraduate students are also desperate on applying because of some misconceptions. First, there is a myth that they tend to be specialized. It is true they are specialized. Leverhulme Trades Charity Trust, for example, helps children and spouses of pharmacists, grocers, and employees in the commercial traveling industry. Another body, The Vegetarian Trust, funds students of vegans and Vegetarians only. Other bodies are, however, generalized and focus on helping all people. They not all help students, but also other people with problems in life, particularly conditions that relate to education. Such generalized bodies include Stapley Educational Trust, St. Clement Dane Educational Foundation, Leather Sellers Company, and the Humanitarian Trust. The second myth tends to imply that the bodies are poor. The charities vary on their wealth. While some are small, they have assets worth millions of pounds. From most people’s perspectives, the awards are small and as they range from £500 to £2000. They can be small, but still significant. The awards can also get renewed each year. One can also be lucky and get from several bodies. In fact, upon attainment of one award, several others are likely to offer supports as they view you as a worthy investment. One should apply to several bodies because their reply is done within two months. The third myth implies that applying for charities is a difficult process. The reality is that applications are few and can reuse your application statement when applying to several bodies. The applications have no word limit or requirements to discuss in details your areas of study and research. Charities are only interested on your financial details and how well you present your challenges. Indicating that have a part-time, working hard, and have minimized living costs will leave you disappointed as that seems more of a CV. Charities operate differently from academic funding bodies such as research councils. The fourth myth that confuses people is that many people apply for the funding and chances of being among the lucky few are slim. The myth is correct to some extent because some of the bodies receive more applications that exceed their capacity. Some, however, receive few student applications because students hardly consider applying, or they are not popular. Taking the example of Stapley Trust, it has been awarding more than 90% of the applicants in recent years. The last myth that misleads students is that overseas students are not eligible for the awards and should not bother applying. They assume the charities dedicate most of their funds to home students. The myth is false and has no basis. While some bodies are only open to UK nationals, there are many others that consider all applicants who reside in the UK regardless of their nationality. Additionally, there are various funds open to people of certain nationalities. Regardless of the strength of your CV, nationality, and age, there are several bodies that can help. What you need to do The first step in sourcing for the funds is finding contact details for various bodies regardless of whether you are eligible or not. Visit the websites of various universities and make use of search engines such as RD Funding and Unigrants. Navigate through the Directory of Grants Making Trusts, Grants Register, and other useful books and directories from the library. Next, ask the charities you have listed whether will consider you. You should not fill application forms or write long letters until they give you the green light. For the initial application letter, let it be short and state your name, age, course, nationality, and a statement showing the deficits in funding your postgraduate studies. Post the letter instead of emailing it and include a self-addressed envelope for the charity to use when replying. Send as many letters as you can. Personally, I sent more than 100. When you receive their reply, you will then draft the formal application. Ensure that you fill the financial section carefully by indicating a complete breakdown of your expenses and income for the academic year which you require support. When writing your personal statement, avoid stories and describe your research as you would to your supervisor. Ensure that you include how your project will benefit the society. Do not forget to highlight that you are undertaking the postgraduate studies because they essential to your career and not indulgence. Above all, mention that you are responsible in coping and adjusting to your financial situation, and do not view the charity as the savior of your life. Show that their contribution will be one crucial way that will see you realize your dreams of a Ph.D. or Master’s degree. Be creative, persuasive, and try as much as possible to balance optimism and humility. If they reject your application, ask them politely why they did that. Do not give up, but send a revised application to be reviewed during the next trustee’s meeting. Indicate on the revised application that you have also won other awards. Finally, do not give up because persistence will see you reap big. Read More