Moving to university is a milestone moment for many, but it’s not without its challenges. Arguably, the largest of those challenges is learning to manage finances and how to cope with the stress of it. I’m here to share my experience of how I’ve learnt to manage my finances and the support I’ve got from the University through access to the ‘Access to Exeter’ bursary and the ‘Exeter Scholars’ scheme. I hope that after reading my blog you will see that accessing this support is simple and the University is there to help, so that you too can enjoy university the way you’re supposed to.
Who am I?
My name is Cerys, I am based on the Penryn campus getting settled into my fourth year of MSci Zoology. Zoology has always been my passion, and I knew from the early years of secondary school that the University of Exeter was where I wanted to study. Getting accepted was a momentous occasion for me that produced a lot of excitement, but there was an undeniable and overwhelming stress of how I was going to afford everything. Prior to starting at university, I had never had a job before and consequently, I had little-to-no savings. Alongside this, I knew I couldn’t rely on receiving money from my family, so I had to start planning and figuring out how exactly I was going to support myself, because not making it work wasn’t an option!
How I knew about the bursaries and scholarships:
During my final year of college my head of year asked me what my plans were. It was at this point that I gave my usual speech about my dreams to work with and study animals and that Exeter was the goal for university. He made me aware of a scheme he knew of that involved working with the University during the summer before my course would begin. I did some research and signed myself up for the Exeter Scholars scheme. This involved attending a virtual ‘summer school’ with University of Exeter academics and students, which provided a taste of the style of learning at university and allowed me to become familiar with the structure of a week as a student.
It was during this time that I was also made aware of the Access to Exeter bursary (ATE). I conducted a little research and quickly found that I may be eligible to receive support from the University alongside my student loan. The University’s website provided clear information on what the bursary was for and how it could be beneficial for me. I decided to investigate the bursary further and found that this wasn’t something that required an application, instead it was based on the financial information provided to Exeter following a student loan application.
Why I applied:
Coming from the area I do, together with being unable to rely on others for the funding of my university life, I knew I needed to find solutions for my financial situation. Along with applying for many part time jobs, I also applied to various bursaries and scholarships. Following the summer school with Exeter I was awarded the Exeter Scholars Scholarship for my first year. I knew that getting a job was still essential, but securing this financial support put my mind at ease, knowing that the University was there to help and support me to ensure that I could carry out my studies with minimal worry and stress. I have always been worried about money and despite managing my finances through methods such as budgeting, I knew I would need to work long hours to be able to afford housing. BUT my heart was set on getting a degree with the University of Exeter so I knew this bursary would offer additional support that would ease my mind and make life a little easier.
How I applied:
The Exeter Scholars Scholarship was awarded after I attended the summer school programme in 2021. This involved participating in the scheduled activities, producing a group presentation and writing up a reflective piece regarding the experience. I had the opportunity to take part in various teaching sessions across multiple topics and departments. Applying for the scholarship was part of this scheme. This scheme was a fantastic way to get a taste of university learning and life and I would recommend any prospective students to take a look into the virtual or in-person scheme.
For the Access to Exeter bursary, the process of application was different from the other bursaries I looked into in that I didn’t apply. Upon doing my research, I found that due to the maintenance loan I was receiving, my situation would be assessed automatically and each year: I simply input my details which determines the level of the bursary that I receive. It is absolutely essential that when you are applying for your student loan, you allow the government funding body to share your information with the University if this is a bursary you are interested in. So long as you do this, the process is easy! Each year when you re-enroll, you check your bank details, confirm your place as a student and the University handles the rest. The bursary is here to help, not hinder.
The benefits:
Being awarded the Exeter Scholars Scholarship in my first year gave me confidence going into my first term of lectures and assessments. This scholarship was awarded with the hope that it could help support my learning and studies throughout the first year. Whilst some of the money was used on general spendings (groceries and leisure), a great portion of it was used for textbooks, stationery and essentials for my course. I quickly learnt that finding books in the library was a challenge when everyone on the course needed to do the same reading, so I found second-hand textbooks online and ensured that there was nothing stopping me from doing all the work necessary. It was through this system of trial and error that I figured out the best ways for me to learn and understand the course content.
The Access to Exeter bursary was slightly different; this bursary enabled me to reduce the pressures of part-time work. In my first year, due to money concerns, I started working with a conglomerate company where I was working over 25 hours a week alongside studies. I quickly learnt that this was not manageable or maintainable for me in the long term, so I started to explore my options elsewhere. Upon doing some reflective maths at the end of first year, I realised that with the support of the bursary I could reduce my working hours and have enough money. The company I was working for would not allow reduced hours, so I had to look for a new job – it was then that I found my present role of being a dog walker. Without access to this bursary, I would still be in my previous role, where I didn’t feel I could give enough time to my studies and felt exhausted whenever I was not at work. This bursary has allowed me to find a part-time job that I love, that allows me to connect with locals and devote more time to my passion – learning for conservation.
The ATE bursary has allowed me to throw myself into both university life and Cornish life! Living in Cornwall is not always the cheapest, but the bursary allowed me to extend my budgets and find a house that I love. Thanks to the support from the University, in the form of bursaries and other well-being services, I have been able to settle into life down in Penryn and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to study and live here.
My advice:
Prior to university I had worries about receiving judgement for seeking financial support. Now, going into my fourth year, I have found that the University of Exeter does all that it can allow you to focus on your studies. The process of accessing bursaries and support is very discreet so it can be kept completely private if you would prefer. For me, these opportunities have been a lifeline that have ensured I could remain at University following my dreams. I did choose to be open with my friends when discussing financial struggles and have found that some of my friends also receive the same bursary that I do. I have learnt that financial struggles are not something to be keep secret. There are solutions out there to help.
If you have any worries about your finances, be sure to check out the University of Exeter website and explore the range of bursaries and scholarships available.