Hi guys!! My name is Emily, I am a first-year undergraduate student at the University Of Exeter studying modern languages. I still can’t quite believe that I made it here and that everything has worked out better than I could have imagined, because this time last year I was filled with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty surrounding my future as I’m sure many of you are facing now. Most of my worries were centred around financial concerns and the barriers that this could pose to my education, and whether I could actually afford to fund university and the lifestyle that it offers. As someone who had all these worries, but is now having such an amazing time, meeting new people and making so many memories, I can confidently tell you that no matter what financial situation you’re in, university is definitely possible!! In this blog I am going to chat a bit about how the bursaries that the University Of Exeter provide have made university possible for me and share some information on what’s on offer and how to access it.
What are bursaries?
I suppose the most important question to address first is what actually are bursaries? Before applying to university, I had never come across them before so didn’t know what they were, how they could help me, or where to apply for them. I know that many of my friends were in a similar situation so hopefully this blog will be useful for answering questions for anyone else who is unsure. Essentially, bursaries are a source of financial assistance, provided by the university to help tackle the costs that come with higher education. They are in addition to any student loans that you may receive, and the best part is that they don’t need to be paid back so you don’t have to worry about owing any money to the university! Usually, bursaries are awarded to students from lower income backgrounds to help cover costs of things like books, transport and living costs, which is what I will be mainly focusing on as this is what I have been receiving. However they are also given for various other reasons so it’s definitely worth checking on the Exeter website to see what you could be entitled to.
Why I applied for a bursary
For me, the University of Exeter has always been the goal as I love the gorgeous green campus, the range of sports facilities and the location so close to the beach, so my mind was pretty much made up that I wouldn’t settle for going anywhere else. However, I knew that this was going to be quite difficult financially, as I live 5 hours away from Exeter so the journey from home to university can get quite pricey in petrol and train journeys. On top of this, like most students, when I was applying I was faced with the terrifying reality of moving away from home and having to pay for my own rent, food, bills whilst also trying to juggle having a social life!! I knew that even with student loans and getting a job I would struggle to pay for all of this by myself. I therefore decided that if I was going to make this happen, I needed to start looking into any other financial help that I could get. I decided to speak to my parents about my concerns to see if they could offer any advice, and although they didn’t know a lot about the university process or what financial support was available, they were extremely supportive in helping me research what was on offer and it was a huge comfort knowing that I had them by my side, supporting me through the process,
How I researched about bursaries on offer
Initially, I started searching on different websites seeing what, if any, financial aid was available as I had no knowledge of what was on offer or how it could help me. However, I soon found a page explaining that most universities offer some form of bursaries or scholarships to help students cover living/educational costs, and after reading a bit more about it, it quickly became apparent that this was something that I may be eligible for. I went onto the University of Exeter website page and followed a link to all the bursaries and scholarships which they had on offer and luckily for me, I almost instantly came across the ‘Access To Exeter Bursary’. The Access To Exeter Bursary is a scheme where financial aid is given to you based on your household income to help you out with the cost of daily living expenses and also the cost of educational materials. There are different brackets of how much money you can receive based on how much household income you have so even if you aren’t eligible for the full amount you may be able to receive some money towards your expenses. Finding out about this was a huge relief for me as all the scary living expenses that come with university looked a lot more manageable with a bursary. I also happened to come across the accommodation bursary by pure luck, as the accommodation that I had applied for was selected for the scheme which meant that I was eligible for the price of my halls of residence to be reduced. The accommodation bursary is a programme open to undergraduate students with a ‘home’ tuition fee status and a low household income. It is offered on selected University halls of residence where some money will be taken off the accommodation price to make it a bit more affordable. All the halls that this applies for are listed on the University of Exeter website page so its definitely worth checking this as the accommodation that you’re looking at may be one eligible for a bursary!
The process of applying for a bursary
I think sometimes people can be a bit worried about applying for financial help as it can be a sensitive topic and you might not want to feel singled out from your friends who do not receive financial aid. However, I’m here to assure you that this should not put you off applying for a bursary as the process is very discreet and it simply involves money being paid straight into your account and no one else knows unless you tell them! Another factor that can sometimes put people off applying is that they may be unsure of what the application process entails or how to do it, but rest assured, the process of applying for bursaries is actually very straight forward! The Access to Exeter bursary is automatically assessed based on your family’s household income so you don’t even have to do anything, and for the accommodation bursary you just have to fill out a short form about your household income which will be reviewed to make sure you filled out the correct details. Once this is completed you will find out whether you have been eligible and if so, the money will be paid into your account or taken off the price of your accommodation! There is really nothing else to it!
How I have benefited from receiving a bursary
When I found out that I was eligible for the bursaries it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders: Having a university experience at Exeter which had previously seemed unattainable and unrealistic to fund was suddenly a lot more accessible to me which made all the hours of hard work studying pay off. The bursaries offered by the University Of Exeter have been an absolute lifeline for me as they have made daily living costs more affordable and less of a constant worry. Obviously, like everyone, I still have to budget and be aware of how much I’m spending, but it is really comforting to have a bit of extra financial support as a safety net. It has also allowed me to take part in social activities without feeling too guilty about ‘wasting’ my money on socialising and being anxious about how I will finance it. This has allowed me to join societies like netball and surf where I can keep active and make new friends. I have even been able to go on multiple surf trips to Cornwall at the weekend which has been a truly amazing experience! Allowing yourself to switch off from constant work and daily tasks is so important for mental wellbeing as living away from home can be a really daunting and scary time so it is crucial that you are not just surviving, but also living and giving yourself a chance to have some fun and meet new people as university is also a time for exploring what you enjoy!
Final tips/advice
Thank you for reading my blog and I hope this has put your mind at rest if you were worrying about the financial side of university and hopefully you now have a slightly better understanding of the types of financial support that the University Of Exeter offers and how you can access it. If you only take away one thing from this blog though, it should be that your financial situation should not – and does not – define your university experience as there is lots of support and options available to you. Even if the ones that I have mentioned do not apply to you, I strongly encourage you to have a look at the list of scholarships and bursaries available on the University of Exeter website as you might be surprised with the support you are able to receive.