Nine things you need to know when applying for a scholarship

by StudyMalaysia.com on February 21, 2019 | Top Stories

Nine things you need to know when applying for a scholarship - StudyMalaysia.com

When you’re done submitting applications to colleges and universities, you should consider applying for a scholarship. In fact, any sort of financial assistance could go a long way in easing your expenses as a student.

As a student, there are many reasons why you might want to apply for a scholarship. The most obvious reason is to receive funding for your education so that you can avoid taking a loan—who wouldn’t want to graduate debt-free? In addition, scholarships can also give you a sense of achievement and provide you with networking opportunities with the awarding organisation. Sometimes, scholarship recipients will also get to participate in a mentoring programme. These are indeed great perks for an undergraduate.

However, before you apply for a scholarship, it is good to know what’s in store for you. Here are nine things you might not have known about.

Nine things you need to know when applying for a scholarship

Some scholarships come with a bond

This means that upon graduation, you will need to be available for employment at the organisation from which you received the sponsorship. The conditions of the bond vary so it’s best that you check it out when applying, or before accepting the scholarship. A bond is a good thing if you’re looking forward to guaranteed employment; however, if you have other plans after graduation, such scholarships may not be for you.

Most scholarships are renewed subject to an annual review

Even if an advertised scholarship states that it will cover the entire duration of your studies, there will almost always be some fine print which states that your scholarship will be subject to a periodic review. This could be carried out each semester or academic year. Some sponsors might even require its scholarship recipients to maintain a minimum CGPA for each semester. The bottom-line? You’ll need to be able to deal with the pressure of proving your worth constantly.

You can usually be in receipt of only one scholarship at a time

OK, so this one is a no-brainer but we think it’s important to mention anyway. In the event that you receive more than one offer of a scholarship or bursary or grant, you can only accept one. But you can still accept most scholarships even if you’re taking a PTPTN loan.

Nine things you need to know when applying for a scholarship

If you change your mind…

So what happens if you decide to discontinue your course of study or drop out of college or university entirely? Almost always, you’ll be required to repay to the scholarship sponsor the amount that has been disbursed up till the termination date.

You’ll need to be on your best behaviour

Not only do you have to keep up your academic performance, you’ll need to be a model student too. Of course any student can be hauled up for misconduct but scholarship recipients are expected to maintain exemplary behaviour.

The scholarship amount depends on the course and institution

An organisation offering scholarships may offer them for the study of various disciplines. This might also mean that the amount of funds a candidate receives will depend on the sort of course they’re pursuing and the type of institution as well. Typically, the amount disbursed for students studying at a private higher education institution is higher than that of someone studying at a public university.

Conditional offers

If you apply for a scholarship using your forecast results and get a conditional offer, it means that the scholarship sponsor would still want to know what you scored in your actual examination. They have the right to withdraw the conditional offer if they are not satisfied with your actual results. That sucks, we know.

Nine things you need to know when applying for a scholarship

If you first don’t succeed…

It’s not all bad news! If you didn’t manage to get a scholarship by the time you start your tertiary education, don’t give up! There are still scholarships for undergraduates in their first and second years. If you didn’t quite make the grade previously, this is your chance to turn things around.

Practice makes perfect

Like most things in life, practice does really make perfect. The more scholarships you apply for, the better you’ll be at writing those essays and cover letters, and the more experienced you’ll be at interviews. Go all out for it! Apply for however many scholarships you qualify for—the more you apply for, the better your odds of getting a scholarship.