Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

''Widening Criteria'' for scholarships.. useless?

Probably not useless, but I do find it a really difficult way of managing who should be entitled to financial help and who shouldn't.

I'm in the process of applying for PG scholarships for my prospective university, but actually, I qualify for nil. I work part time and will be living with my partner (once I start the course), who has been off work nearly all year because of COVID. Despite neither of us qualifying for any benefits, we fall way below the 25k household income that they want scholars to categorise themselves in IF they also receive benefits, or live with parents.

I find it so ridiculous that universities measure student support based off of if they live with parents or guardians - have they not realised that not living with either of those doesn't necessarily mean that one is financially stable?

I appreciate they have to draw the line somewhere, but personally I think it would be easier to just say ''anyone under this certain household income'' regardless of who a student lives with. I can't live at home for several reasons, but that also doesn't mean I couldn't do with the financial support a scholarship provides. I've always had a job since the age of 14, working almost full time hours during my first two years of university, and even now I'm working whilst trying to finish my third year.

Woe is me, I get it, not everybody will agree. But it's as frustrating as the way in how UG loans are calculated, in my opinion. I'd like to be considered based on the fact I achieve high grades, I'm the top of my cohort and I work really really hard - not because I may or may not have received free school meals 6+ years ago.