College Bursaries for University Students

Many students attending a university may have heard of something called college bursaries and are looking to find more information on the topic. Well, look no further – we intend to drop a good amount of information regarding what a college bursary is, how best to take advantage of them and how to prepare for applying to them. As a general rule of thumb, college bursaries do not have to be repaid, making them a fantastic alternative to student loans. On top of this, in many areas of the world where college bursaries are offered, the programs are available on a regional basis limiting competition to a smaller pool of students. Though these pools will still be relatively large depending on the amount of students enrolled at a student’s college of choice, it still certainly beats competing over bursaries offered at the national level outside of colleges.

Bursaries for college come in many different forms. Some are designed to help students with exceptional financial need while still others are built to award those students who perform well in their academic pursuits. There are also many college bursaries which are offered through individual departments looking to help students who have already selected fields of interest for a future career afford their college education. Without a doubt, college bursaries should be the first stop for any student seeking financial aid, long before they apply for student loans and probably before they start looking at national or privately offered programs.

A college bursary is a financial aid program offered by an individual college that does not have to be repaid after graduation. These programs are very normally relatively small compared to larger national or private offerings, but, as any student applying for financial aid should already know, every little bit counts. College bursary programs are offered at different levels, sometimes to the entire college or only to those students in particular fields. For instance, the College of New Caledonia offers two college bursaries every year through their Office Management and Supervision courses to students entering college for the first time and taking a full semester. While the award amount is only $250, it is certainly better than nothing and helps a student work towards their total goal of funding needs. Students interested in this Canadian college bursary must be residents of British Columbia enrolled at the College of New Caledonia and must have their bursary application submitted by February 27, 2011.

The Audrey Hansen International Study Abroad college bursary offered to Vancouver Island University students is a good example of a program offered more widely to all students at a college. This program gives out one $1,000 award every year for students at any classman level attending either full or part time. They can be studying in any chosen field but must be working towards a bachelor degree. The deadline for this college bursary is February 28, 2011.

As can be seen by the above two examples, not all college bursaries follow the same deadline. This applies also when you are applying for programs at the same university – not every program is going to have a submission date on the same day. The English and Canadian college bursary systems have a fairly handy application process, however, which allows students to submit a single form to their university’s financial aid office. When this form is submitted, all college bursaries offered locally which a student is eligible for will be applied to. This means two very important things to students looking for financial aid through these sources. First, students will need to be on the ball and apply for college bursaries as soon as they are able. The earlier a student applies the more university bursaries they will be able to have their application submitted to, maximizing their overall potential for financial aid. The second thing this should mean to a student is that they need to be prepared to apply as early as possible. This means having financial information, citizenship records, proof of enrollment and any other necessary documents readily available during the application process. By being organized and prepared, a student will be more likely to cover all potential college bursaries for which they are eligible further increasing their chances at aid.