Postgrad UK 2008/2009 - (Page 23) Sponsored by www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK Advice and Information 23 STUDY SUPPORT As with the Chevening Scholarships, students are directed to their local British Council Office for further information, though in the US, the scheme is handled by Scholarships America. When scholars come to study in the UK though, Robin is keen to point out that the Council are acutely aware of the sensitive nature of the programme. ‘When it comes to certain times of the year, people would rather be with their loved ones. We do have specialist 24-hour trained welfare advisers here and we do meet up with participants as often as possible when we do institution visits or personal visits.’ The Council recommend that students considering the 9/11 programme start around 18 months before they would expect to begin a UK degree programme, though planning ahead is a vital piece of advice for all sources of funding. ‘Definitely look for the deadline of any scholarship,’ says Suzanne adamantly. ‘It’s very frustrating to find that you would have qualified but that you missed the deadline. It happens often!’ One student who did not miss the deadline is Divya Maharajh, currently studying for an MA in Mass Communication at the University of Leicester. Divya received an Open Masters Scholarship from the University, which gave her a 25% reduction in her tuition fees (£2,000). She is funding the rest of her programme using money from an Ontario Student Assistance Programme and her parents. Suzanne says it is common for taught Masters students to fund themselves through a mixture of sources. FINDING FUNDING A good place to start is Programme. Next on the agenda should be your local British Council, Embassy or High Commission office, where you will find a wealth of information about potential funding. Chief among these are the British Chevening Scholarships (featured earlier in this article), Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme, Overseas Research Awards Scheme, and the Marshall and Fulbright Scholarships (the latter two being exclusively for US students). As you might expect, each award is aimed at different prospective postgraduates; the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan seeks to fund Commonwealth citizens, again demonstrating proven academic ability, and offers cost of travel to and from the UK, tuition fees and living expenses; while the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme facilities students from developing Commonwealth countries, who are under 35, have shown high academic achievement, will benefit from UK postgraduate education themselves, and in turn transfer this benefit to their home country. Those looking to undertake a research degree may find the Overseas Research Student Awards Scheme attractive, as it offers full-time students payment of the difference between your home fees for a course in that subject and the cost of the UK course itself. No maintenance costs are covered by the award though. US students who were awarded their undergraduate degree in the last two years can also apply for funding via the Marshall Scholarship scheme, which is one of the most generous programmes available. Successful applicants, who are chosen by regional committees in the US, receive fare, tuition fee and maintenance costs, alongside book, thesis and travel allowances, for a two year period. Also for US students, Fulbright Scholarships offer a shorter period of support (nine months), though cover round-trip travel, provide a maintenance allowance, approved tuition fees (where applicable) along with an incidental expense allowance. There are no subject or age restrictions to the Fulbright scheme. All of these awards will be popular and competition for places high, so enquiring and applying early is always recommended. If you are not successful, or they do not offer what you are looking for then there are other options to consider. INTERNATIONAL AID International organisations, such as UNESCO and the WHO, administer some schemes, as do a range of voluntary organisations. UK universities also offer comprehensive advice on sources of funding via their websites – Cranfield University for example, points international students towards the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Programme (Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Russian students), the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship (outstanding students from developing countries) and the Anglo-Jewish Association (grants for overseas Jewish students unable to afford UK postgraduate education). Cranfield also have their own financial awards, available to students considering study at either the School of Management or School of Applied Sciences. Elsewhere, UK institutions commonly offer international students fee reductions, such as the University of Leicester, whose Open Masters Scholarship rate is currently 25%. FURTHER INFORMATION your local or national government, as they may offer support to study abroad – the Government of Ontario in Canada, for example, runs a Student Assistance www.prospects.ac.uk/int http://www.prospects.ac.uk/PostgradUK http://www.kent.ac.uk/international http://www.prospects.ac.uk/int
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