You are not alone.
It is not uncommon to see students backing away from getting funding for their education for different reasons that… hear me out… may just be excuses.
As schools that award these scholarships reveal, a lot of students simply aren’t applying for these readily available grants. Many are discouraging themselves before even starting applications.
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Only one in ten students with good qualifications apply for scholarships. In recent times, these scholarships and educational grants that Do Not Need to be repaid are more important than ever. Imagine, receiving free money to help you pay your way into a prestigious programme? !!!
So why are many students not applying for scholarships?
Some students underestimate their ability to win scholarships, thus discouraging them from even trying to apply. These students end up stretching the purses of mum and dad to afford college or they do not bother to go forward with their dreams. Other students overestimate their ability to win scholarships, apply with poorly prepared application and end up with the feeling of distrust in the scholarship process when they are denied scholarships.
These excuses can be harmful if they give students and their families unrealistic expectations about their ability to win scholarships.
Have you been missing out on receiving scholarships for which you could qualify? What was your excuse then? What is it now?
1. Forget it. Too much competition: Yes, competition for scholarships is intense but that’s not enough reason to stay away from applying for those you are eligible for. Even among talented students, winning involves a bit of luck, not just skill.
Most students who win scholarships had to face very stiff competition than anything they have experienced in their life time. If they come out successful in one, imagine the number of rejections they must have had.
Here’s a plan: Apply for every scholarship that you are eligible for to increase your chances of winning. It is very difficult to choose a winner from among several excellent finalists, so winners are often selected randomly.
Also, small scholarships and essay contests are easier to win because many students avoid them. Small scholarships providers often allow a holder to take up more funding. Where this happens, these scholarships beef up your resume, making it easier for you to win bigger awards.
2. I am different. There are not many scholarships for people like me: Are you sporty or an artist or a designer? Are you science-inclined? Are you a woman? Many students believe that scholarships are only available for academic study, forgetting that there are scholarships for creative students and the underprivileged.
Scholarships are awarded to students with all sorts of interests and talents. What makes you different can actually take you to where the best of the best are. Don’t wave off your ‘difference’ as something unacceptable. You have to believe that your type is needed out there.
That being said, So many scholarship opportunities exist for students who dedicate time and energy to fields as music and the arts, poetry, foreign languages, community service, science, leadership, writing and oratory, to name just a few.
3. I don’t know how to go about it: Scholarships are offered by governments, schools, private organizations or individuals.
Find out about these scholarships by properly searching the internet. There are websites that provide information about scholarships FREE. Don’t waste your money on fee-based scholarship matching services or unverified agencies. All the information that you need can be found on the Web.
Go to these scholarship search sites and gather information on scholarships and their requirements. Select the ones most suitable to your interest and goals and submit through the appropriate scholarship link. The good thing about scholarships is that there’s no limit to how many you can apply for.
4. Too much work needed to apply for a scholarship: Yes, being a student with a busy schedule and pocket money can leave little for anything else. So applying for scholarships can seem too long a process.
In reality, many of the application processes are simple. Thanks to the internet, scholarship applications are becoming easier, allowing students apply for more than one scholarship at a time. Documents can now be uploaded as opposed to sending copies via post.
Proficiency exams can be taken online and interviews via Skype. Further clarification on the eligibility of a scholarship can easily be communicated via email. Quick researches and application can be completed in three hours or less.
And if you are successful you will be able to concentrate on your studies, rather than worrying about your finances.
5. What if I don’t get it at the end? Just going through the application process is a learning experience, which can shed light on what your career goals and interests really are. This is helpful for all future applications, whether they are for jobs, internships, fellowships, graduate school, or other scholarships.
So even if you apply for a scholarship and don’t get selected, you will come out of that experience more knowledgeable and in a better position for future applications than if you don’t apply at all.
6. Scholarships are only for the brightest students: Students often believe they are not qualified to receive assistance, causing them to miss out on potential scholarship opportunities.
The truth is, there are many scholarships available, and not all scholarships are merit-based or dependent on high grades. However, universities do not always make scholarship opportunities easy to find, so students are often unaware of awards which they may be perfectly qualified to receive.
This is where thorough research comes into play. You can join scholarship chats online, subscribe to newsletters, visit the pages of your desired school’s website or contact them directly. You may be surprised by your own discoveries.
7. I’ve missed the application deadline: Scholarships that exist for a student are usually in the ratio of 1:8. This is to say that a student can be eligible to apply for as many as eight scholarships in order to be successful for one or more programmes.
So while some deadlines may have passed, a student is usually eligible to apply for another. The application deadline of most scholarships is often in August/September and/or January  — Most being the operative word. The smartest thing to do is to take note of the deadlines of your preferred scholarships especially if these scholarships are offered every year. If possible, you should start preparing to apply at least a year before you need the grant.
8. I’m not impressive. I don’t have many social qualifications: While bagging many social qualifications is the criteria for some scholarships, there are also many that do not subject candidates under this condition.
Winning scholarships is about quality, not quantity. Some people think that to win these awards you must possess all the community and leadership awards.
On the contrary, most scholarship winners distinguish themselves by the devotion they have demonstrated to a particular activity or activities, rather than by the number of awards they amassed. It’s about properly showing what you care about and who you are through the activities you participate in and enjoy.
9. The scholarships I see are only for tuition. What about accommodation? There are scholarships for tuition AND accommodation.  There are also tuition scholarships with living expenses and stipends. In addition to scholarships for living expenses and stipends, there are grants for books and materials, travel expenses and health insurances. Also you can find tuition scholarships combined with internships, as well as other types of upkeep support.
Many organisations also provide scholarships for English language courses, research visits, and exploration trips. There is a scholarship for almost every student need.
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10. Scholarships are not real. Do people even get these scholarships? Granted, only few students win fully-funded scholarships each year. However, there are scholarships that are awarded to as many as 100 to 1000 students in one academic year; still many go unclaimed. Yet this misconception that scholarships are not real is widespread in student circles.
Because of this reasoning, schools offering scholarships are obligated to put up testimonials on their webpage as a form of proof.
Also, one of the requirements of winning some scholarships is becoming an ambassador for the scholarship so there’s a success story for potential students to believe in and be inspired by.
Thankfully, there is also a ‘Past Winners’ section on AfterschoolAfrica where awardees share their journey before and after getting a scholarship.  So, yes, people get these scholarships.
If you fully research, stay organized, avoid application errors, submit good applications and essays, and apply to as many scholarships as possible, then you will increase your chances of obtaining a scholarship. Winning any scholarship is a vote of confidence. It means that you are worth the spending of any school or organization. Winning a scholarship may make the difference in your future. Start applying!
