The Student Room Group

Oxford and Cambridge scholarships-need some advice

To cut the long story short, my 17 years old sister would love to apply to either Oxford or Cambridge to study English. She is starting her last year of secondary school back home in September and would need to submit her application in early October, however, there are a few questions I would like to ask before she makes a decision.

Does Oxford or Cambridge offer any scholarsips for EU students? I know that the government provides a tuition fees loan, but is there anything available apart from that? She's a high achieving student and is predicted to graduate with equivalent of A*A*A in English, Lithuanian and History. In terms of EC's, she's a Drama school graduate and has been acting since the age of 6. She now performs both nationally and internationally with her Drama group. In addition, she's a published writer (mainly prose) and has recently made it into the group of 50 best english students in Lithuania (don't know the exact place she was awarded after the final round of the competition). So, overall, I feel like her application is quite sound, however, as our family is not really well off financially, our parents won't be able to fund her studies, even if they tried their hardest :frown: Neither could I, as will be starting university myself in October. Overall, she would need approximately £8,000-£10,000 for 3 years, excluding the tuition fees, and that amounts to approximately £40,000 in our national currency, depending on exchange rates.

Therefore, I was wondering if either of the two universities offers any form of scholarship for EU students, possibly something to do with Drama (similar to Organ Scholarship)? I tried to search for it online, however, didn't come across anything.

Also, does Cambridge still provide European Trusts Scholarship, because that's all I have found online

Would appreciate your advice or any information that you could share!

Thanks!

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Reply 1
For Oxford, try here for more information. But I'm afraid the short version is that she'll have to be lucky to get even a partial scholarship.
Reply 2
hobnob
For Oxford, try here for more information. But I'm afraid the short version is that she'll have to be lucky to get even a partial scholarship.



Thanks for the link.

Can I ask why is that though?
Reply 3
Because they just don't exist. There are very very few scholarships and places for internationals are conditional not just on achieving grades but also on being able to fund yourself. Also even if the universities cared enough about drama to offer scholarships (and why would they? what can one actor contribute to college life?) organ scholarships max out at about 400 pounds.
Reply 4
Bekaboo
Because they just don't exist. There are very very few scholarships and places for internationals are conditional not just on achieving grades but also on being able to fund yourself.


Thanks.

She's not an international student though, but EU.
Reply 5
eve_22
Thanks.

She's not an international student though, but EU.




Pretty sure it's same difference.
Your best bet is to research scholarship opportunities in your home country. The Oxford grants available to EU students are, in practice, trivial.
Reply 7
eve_22
Thanks.

She's not an international student though, but EU.

She is not from the nation of the UK... ergo I'm pretty sure the same rules apply.
Reply 8
serrellen
Pretty sure it's same difference.


It's not. Internationals generally have more funding opportunities to choose from then students coming from EU. I don't know how it is at Oxbridge, but that's the general trend.
Reply 9
Roundabout
Your best bet is to research scholarship opportunities in your home country. The Oxford grants available to EU students are, in practice, trivial.


Well, I guess then that's the end of the road for her, as our country is extremely stingy when it comes to funding students, whether they want to attend a university back home or abroad...They don't provide any support, as far as I am aware, both for students planning to study in Lithuania or abroad. :s-smilie:
eve_22
Well, I guess then that's the end of the road for her, as our country is extremely stingy when it comes to funding students, whether they want to attend a university back home or abroad...They don't provide any support, as far as I am aware, both for students planning to study in Lithuania or abroad. :s-smilie:


That's unlucky.
Reply 11
<long term strategy>
Become a super rich lawyer & set up a scholarship specifically for Lithuanian students/drama one day?
Quite a few of the scholarships out there seem to be from specific trusts rather than the universities themselves handing out money... so it's whether you fit something.

The new search facility Hobnob linked looks pretty nifty though!
I remember my parents only finding out that significant other had potentially been eligible for something through randomly stumbling across a mention of something specific to his country of birth/subject/college, so it was too late to chase. Although I also had a friend who got lucky finding a cheque in his pidge one pay on account of his country of birth/college, although it was more a 'token' amount.


UK universities aren't really geared up for the whole means-tested-bursaries or scholarships open to everyone who applies in the same way some in other countries (like the US) seem to be. I suppose because the public funding they get gives them a responsibility to taxpayers (so home students) and they're not loaded enough (with most tuition fees looking less than say - US universities) to extend things sustainably to everyone? :dontknow:
Reply 12
eve_22
It's not. Internationals generally have more funding opportunities to choose from then students coming from EU. I don't know how it is at Oxbridge, but that's the general trend.


From my perspective, it seems like the other way. Especially when considering that the tuition fees are at least about triple for non-EU students...
Try America- I had heard they have more scholarships
Reply 14
Elles
<long term strategy>
Become a super rich lawyer & set up a scholarship specifically for Lithuanian students/drama one day?
Quite a few of the scholarships out there seem to be from specific trusts rather than the universities themselves handing out money... so it's whether you fit something.

The new search facility Hobnob linked looks pretty nifty though!
I remember my parents only finding out that significant other had potentially been eligible for something through randomly stumbling across a mention of something specific to his country of birth/subject/college, so it was too late to chase. Although I also had a friend who got lucky finding a cheque in his pidge one pay on account of his country of birth/college, although it was more a 'token' amount.


UK universities aren't really geared up for the whole means-tested-bursaries or scholarships open to everyone who applies in the same way some in other countries (like the US) seem to be. I suppose because the public funding they get gives them a responsibility to taxpayers (so home students) and they're not loaded enough (with most tuition fees looking less than say - US universities) to extend things sustainably to everyone? :dontknow:


Thanks for the suggestion, I'll think about it :wink:
why is she so hung up on oxford/cambridge anyway??
Reply 16
Achilles99
Try America- I had heard they have more scholarships


I would, but there's no way my parents will agree to her leaving to US :o: UK is a better option, as I'm here already and she would not be alone...US is just too far :smile:
Reply 17
prospective student
why is she so hung up on oxford/cambridge anyway??


Wanting to apply to one of them doesn't make you "hung up" on them. Besides, I would imagine that the financial difficulties would be similar at other UK institutions.
Reply 18
prospective student
why is she so hung up on oxford/cambridge anyway??



She's not. She was just considering her options.

Where did you get that from anyway?
Reply 19
BJack
Wanting to apply to one of them doesn't make you "hung up" on them. Besides, I would imagine that the financial difficulties would be similar at other UK institutions.


That's true. I looked at other insitutions and financial support for EU students is extremely limited. Even if my parents could afford helping her out with the funds in the first place, it would only be worth it if she goes to a great university, as it would put them in a substantial amount of debt. Otherwise she could stay back home and study there.

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