Last weekend, we partnered with ILUU, a women and girls empowerment organization in Kenya, to host an online Motivational Talk and Scholarship Event. We had over 50 participants and received some excellent questions about scholarships. We did not have enough time to answer all the questions, so we are doing a special blogpost dedicated to answering questions some of the unanswered questions. We hope these answers are helpful to you!
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
- Do you have advice for those who want to pursue PhD with only an undergraduate degree? What areas should I emphasize on during application?
- The first thing you should do is make sure that the program accepts applicants with only an undergraduate degree. In general, most US graduate programs accept undergraduate degrees, while most non-US graduate programs require you to have a Masters degree. Double check for the program and country where you are applying. Next, find out what the application requirements are. Some programs might require you to write a research proposal as part of the application. Make sure you write a compelling research proposal by familiarizing yourself with latest research in the topic you are interested in. If possible, reach out to students in the program and ask what they emphasized in their applications. There are a wealth of resources available to help you craft a competitive application, and of course, you are welcome to read our blog for more advice!
- The first thing you should do is make sure that the program accepts applicants with only an undergraduate degree. In general, most US graduate programs accept undergraduate degrees, while most non-US graduate programs require you to have a Masters degree. Double check for the program and country where you are applying. Next, find out what the application requirements are. Some programs might require you to write a research proposal as part of the application. Make sure you write a compelling research proposal by familiarizing yourself with latest research in the topic you are interested in. If possible, reach out to students in the program and ask what they emphasized in their applications. There are a wealth of resources available to help you craft a competitive application, and of course, you are welcome to read our blog for more advice!
- What about nursing degrees? Is there any requirement that is essential before I even apply for any scholarship?
- Check if the scholarship you’re interested in covers nursing degrees. Also check the requirements of the graduate program.
- Check if the scholarship you’re interested in covers nursing degrees. Also check the requirements of the graduate program.
- What masters programmes are there for Education (Arts) students?
- For Masters studies, you are the one who decides what you want to study! You can have a bachelors degree in education but decided to study for an MBA or a Masters in Public Policy. You decide what you want to study. You can read about choosing a graduate program from our blog. For scholarships, your best bet is to go online and look for scholarships available. UK Scholarships such as Chevening or Rhodes provide funding for any graduate program. Check out our blogpost on where to get scholarships.
- For Masters studies, you are the one who decides what you want to study! You can have a bachelors degree in education but decided to study for an MBA or a Masters in Public Policy. You decide what you want to study. You can read about choosing a graduate program from our blog. For scholarships, your best bet is to go online and look for scholarships available. UK Scholarships such as Chevening or Rhodes provide funding for any graduate program. Check out our blogpost on where to get scholarships.
- Must I have a specific institution in which I wish to study in as I apply for a scholarship?
- This depends on the scholarship and the program you are applying for. Some scholarships will restrict you to a university. For example, the Rhodes Scholarships can only be taken up at Oxford. Other scholarships have country restrictions, for example, Commonwealth Scholarships can only be taken up in Commonwealth countries. You can start by finding out what you want you want to study, and then explore scholarships that are available for your course of study. Or alternatively, find different scholarships that you are eligible for, and whether they fund the program you are interested in.
SCHOLARSHIP TYPES
- For partial scholarships, do the institutions have job opportunities or programs to help out with paying out the rest of the fees?
- Yes, there are usually job opportunities available for students, but your ability use these jobs to earn money for school fees is not always feasible. First, some countries may not grant you a visa if you say that you will be going to work to fund your studies. They embassy may want you to show them that you already have the funds to cover the deficit. Also bear in mind that there are often restrictions as to how much you are allowed to work as a student. For example, being allowed to work only twenty hours a week. This might mean that even though you work, you might not earn enough to cover the cost of your studies. Job opportunities for students are often good for earning extra income, not solely for using them to get school fees.
- Yes, there are usually job opportunities available for students, but your ability use these jobs to earn money for school fees is not always feasible. First, some countries may not grant you a visa if you say that you will be going to work to fund your studies. They embassy may want you to show them that you already have the funds to cover the deficit. Also bear in mind that there are often restrictions as to how much you are allowed to work as a student. For example, being allowed to work only twenty hours a week. This might mean that even though you work, you might not earn enough to cover the cost of your studies. Job opportunities for students are often good for earning extra income, not solely for using them to get school fees.
- How do STEM scholarships work?
- Just like other scholarships. Find out what the requirements are for the scholarship you are interested in and begin applying.
- Just like other scholarships. Find out what the requirements are for the scholarship you are interested in and begin applying.
- Is Mandela Rhodes Scholarship a part of Rhodes Scholarship?
- No, the Mandela Rhodes and Rhodes are two different scholarships. Mandela Rhodes is for one-year honors degree to two-year graduate study at South African universities, while the Rhodes is for graduate study at the University of Oxford. However, the two organizations that administer the scholarships have a relationship. The Mandela Rhodes foundation was started in partnership with the Rhodes.
AUXILIARY QUESTIONS
- What about those scholarships that need you to just transfer your institution but everything just remains the same(year of study and the course). Is it possible?
- Yes, it’s possible to get a scholarship to another university and begin your studies in the same course. However, to continue your studies, that is, to transfer your credits or units, depends on the policies of the university. Sometimes the university might expect you to take all their courses and will not give you any credit for courses taken elsewhere. Other times they might accept credits from other universities. You just need to inquire.
Higher Ed Prep 