Funding your studies: Why you should apply for an undergraduate scholarship

Hi! My name is Jessica, and I’m from Indonesia. I’m also an International Student Ambassador at the University of York, studying Bachelor of Arts in Music. Currently, I’m in my second year as I just finished my first year and foundation year consecutively at York. I received an undergraduate scholarship when I progressed from my foundation to a bachelor’s degree.

I didn’t expect to receive this scholarship because I completed a foundation course in 2020 when the pandemic struck. It was a time of uncertainty so I thought there were no scholarships available. I just kept in mind to consistently attend classes, be active, and do every assignment heartfully. It turned out that the University of York still distributed scholarships to students, and I was one of them. Am I surprised? Yes, definitely. However, I’m grateful to be given this reward. 

Why this Scholarship is important to me 

This undergraduate scholarship means a lot to me. Not only physically helping me with my funding but also improving my ambition. With this scholarship, I understand better how to maximise this opportunity and be more persistent whenever I face challenges. This scholarship also broadened my connections as I had the chance to meet fellow scholarship recipients from many different countries. 

My confidence has also grown. By communicating and sharing my experience in this blog, it indirectly pushes me to be more self-assured. I realise that this achievement is something that I should be proud of. As a person who thinks I can always do better, sometimes I assume that what I do is not enough and I need to strive more. However, it made me rethink this. All of my hard work has paid off!

It’s also helped me to cope away from home. Once, I felt unsure about living a thousand miles away from my parents. I was pretty shy to meet new people and hang out with them and just focused on my studies. I would love to know them, but the significant background was holding me back, scaring me that I won’t be able to communicate with other students. 

Nonetheless, this scholarship turned 180 degrees on my perceptions, making me more assertive. This is not only physically helping me, but inside, it also helps me shape my personality and behavior towards my environment. Now, I’m comfortable being myself and not shy in introducing myself to new people. 

As you can see, there are many benefits to applying for an undergraduate scholarship. This might not be something visible or something you expect, however, I promise it’s worth the time and effort. This achievement will be something that you are grateful for.

How to find an undergraduate scholarship

There are lots of ways to find out about scholarships. I found out about mine through the University of York website. There are a variety of scholarships available at York, offering different amounts of money and tailored to students from different regions in the world. For further information check out Undergraduate funding for UK (home) students and Undergraduate funding for international (including EU) students.

Learn more about undergraduate life at York