Bursary Vs Scholarship: Definitions, Types and Benefits
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Studying abroad comes with a very high cost which some students cannot afford by themselves. Hence, scholarships, grants and bursaries are provided to selected students to ease their burden so that they can actively focus on their studies.
Both bursaries and scholarships are amounts of money granted to students to complete their higher education abroad. These amounts are non-repayable provided under different conditions and follow different selection parameters. This way, both scholarships and bursaries are similar and dissimilar in some extent.
This article contains in-depth details on the differences between the scholarships and bursaries. We will also cover similar topics such as bursary vs. scholarship vs. grant, types of scholarships and bursaries and how bursaries work. But first, we will read about what are scholarships and bursaries.
Also Read: Scholarship Interview Questions with Answers to Study Abroad
- What is a Scholarship?
- What is a Bursary and How Does it Work?
- Difference Between Scholarship and Bursary
What is a Scholarship?
Scholarships are financial aid awarded to students with proven extraordinary academic performance. College/university, government or external organisations offer scholarships. It means that you do not have to repay any amount of scholarship
Types of Scholarships
Partially-funded and fully-funded scholarships are two types of scholarships.
- Partially funded scholarships provide financial aid towards the cost of tuition and other expenses.
- Fully-funded scholarships covering complete tuition fees of the students. It provides funds towards the living expenses of students also.
Check the complete list of study-abroad scholarships here.
What is a Bursary and How Does it Work?
“What does a bursary mean?” remains a common question among students willing to pursue their higher education abroad. A bursary is any financial aid provided to students who would otherwise not be able to support the cost of their education.
Bursaries are non-repayable and allocated based on the financial need and/or merit of the applicant. Just like some full-funded scholarships, a bursary covers the living expenses, cost of studying and miscellaneous costs.
The bursaries are awarded either by the government, universities/colleges or private organisations to support the students from economically weaker sections.
Difference Between Scholarship and Bursary
The differences between bursary and scholarship are given below.
| Bursary Vs Scholarship |
||
|---|---|---|
| Particulars |
Scholarships |
Bursaries |
| Payment |
The scholarship fund is auto-deducted for the payment of tuition fees. |
Funds are provided enough to cover the educational costs or one-time payments. |
| Other Benefits |
May provide discounts on certain one-time payments or living expenses. |
No benefits or discounts are provided. Enough funds are provided to cover the whole cost of studying and associated costs of living. |
| Nature |
Competitive |
Non-competitive, often called as “awards” |
| Offering Body |
colleges/ universities, government bodies, external organisations |
colleges/ universities, government bodies, external organisations |
| Types |
|
|
| Courses |
UG, PG, PhD and Professional Courses |
UG, PG, PhD and Professional Courses |
| Eligibility Criteria |
Academic Excellence |
Proven Financial Need and/or Merit basis |
| Amount |
Varies according to the type of scholarship |
Covers the studying and living costs of studying abroad |
| Duration |
Varies, can last from a year to the entire length of your program. |
Initially for a short period (6 months to a year or for a semester), can be renewed if the financial need remains. |
| Repayable/Non-repayable |
Non-repayable |
Non-repayable |
| Application Mode |
By direct/indirect application through online official scholarship and university portals. |
By direct/indirect application through online official bursary portals. |
Also Read: Fully-Funded Scholarships in Ireland
This was all about a bursary vs scholarship. If you have any doubts, feel free to drop your queries in the comments below.
Commonly asked questions
Students can apply for merit seat for 11th grade in top schools/colleges. 80% score in UK 10th exam is considered as a good mark to get into reputed institution for Plus one.
UK board conducts the UK 10th board exam only once in a year. It is held in the month of Feb/March. The board then conducts the supplementary exam in June/July for those who do not clear the UK 10th board exam.
The University of Aberdeen is a Scottish institution. Its MBA programme is offered by Business School which holds EQUIS accreditation. All programmes at the Mumbai campus of University of Aberdeen follow the same standards of governance, academic regulations, and assessment processes as those in Scotland. This ensures that students are awarded an identical degree in Mumbai campus as the UK degree.
Uttarakhand board release toppers list along with the UK 10th result 2026. If you are able to score 495/500 or more, there are chances that you will be one among the toppers.
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