How To Pay For University
There are many, many ways to find the funds for university.
GRANT AND GOVERNMENT HELP
First of all, check what money you are entitled to from the government. Try contacting your local educational authority. You should find their number in the phone book. In the UK, the Direct.gov Student Finance homepage is a good place to start.
www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/index.htm
FAMILY SUPPORT
Not every family can pay for everything, but most families can offer something. Even £5 a week can help. Ring around all of your relatives and ask if they can help. While you are on the phone, ask if they know any business contacts you could approach for sponsorship, or any wealthy individuals you could ask for donations.
SPONSORSHIP
Businesses sponsor you by paying money in return for something. For big stars, this is profile and their fanbase. For you, this will be much simpler and it doesn’t mean you have to work for the company in the future! A business will consider sponsorship a good deal if they get photos in the press with you, a quarterly report on your progress, a nice thank you letter, a certificate of sponsorship. For more details on how to apply for and keep your sponsorship, check out Chapter Six of Free Degrees. You can buy the book here.
CHARITABLE TRUSTS AND FOUNDATYIONS
There are thousands of charitable trusts and grant-making foundations whose sole job is to donate money to those in need. That includes students in hardship. You will need to research these carefully on the web and in the library as each charity has different application criteria. You make an application and every so often, the organisation’s board of trustees meet to consider all of their applications. They have limited funds, so some people will get money and others won’t. It can take months to hear back from them. Awards from charitable trusts can pay out thousands.
In the UK,...