Bursary Vs Scholarship: Definitions, Types and Benefits
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Difference between a Scholarship and a Bursary: 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.
- What is a Scholarship?
- What is a Bursary and How Does it Work?
- Difference Between Scholarship and Bursary
- Bursary Vs Scholarship FAQs
What is a Scholarship?
Scholarships are financial aid awarded to students with proven extraordinary academic performance. Typically offered either by a college/university, government or external organisations, the scholarship amounts are non-repayable which means that you do not have to repay any amount of scholarship upon the completion of your studies.
Types of Scholarships
Based on the amount of funds provided, there are two types of scholarships - partially-funded and fully-funded scholarships. The partially funded scholarships provide financial aid towards the cost of tuition of students and other expenses of their education, such as books and other miscellaneous costs. The funds awarded toward the tuition fee may just be sufficient to cover the full tuition fee or some parts of it, it depends entirely on the scholarship’s policies and the awarding committee.
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The fully-funded scholarships along with covering the complete tuition fees of the students also provide funds towards the living expenses of students.
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 are 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 bursary vs scholarship. If you have any doubts, feel free to drop your queries in the comments below.
Bursary Vs Scholarship FAQs
Q. What is the difference between bursary vs. scholarship vs. grant?
A. The differences between bursary, scholarship and grant on the basis of award and the requirement for the repayment of award are given below.
| Type of Financial Aid |
Basis for Award |
Repayment Required |
|---|---|---|
| Bursary |
Financial need |
No |
| Scholarship |
Merit (academic achievement, skills) or financial need, or both |
No |
| Grant |
Specific purpose (research, study abroad program) |
Usually no, but depends on the grant |
Q. Who is eligible to get a bursary to study abroad?
A. Bursaries for studying abroad are typically awarded based on financial need. This means that the main factor in determining eligibility is your ability to demonstrate that you would not be able to afford the study abroad program without financial assistance.
Below are some general points of eligibility for getting a bursary to study abroad:
- Students with limited financial means: This includes students from low-income families or those who do not have access to family support for funding their studies abroad.
- Students with high program costs: Even students from middle-income backgrounds might be eligible if the specific study abroad program has high costs associated with tuition, living expenses, or travel.
- Students with documented financial hardship: Some bursary programs might consider factors like unexpected medical bills, dependent care costs, or other circumstances that create financial strain.
Q. Is a bursary meant to be paid back?
A. No, unlike student loans, a bursary is typically not meant to be paid back. Bursaries are a form of financial aid awarded based on financial need to help students cover the costs of education, including studying abroad. Since their purpose is to bridge the financial gap, they function differently from student loans.
Q. How to apply for a bursary for college?
A. Below are the steps to get a bursary to fund your study abroad dream:
- Search for a suitable bursary program, read about the funding body and the benefits and terms of conditions involved.
- Check your eligibility. Bursary awarding bodies describe the maximum amount of funds that must be with the applicant to prove their inability to fund their own education.
- Prepare a strong application, gather the required documents and craft a compelling SOP.
- Submit your application before the deadline.
Q. What are the differences between scholarships, bursaries and awards?
A. Scholarships and bursaries are both non-repayable. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic performance such as by analysing the applicant’s grades or participation in some co-curricular or extra-curricular activities.
However, bursaries are allocated to one based on their financial needs. Academic grades and achievements are not the deciding parameters when deciding whom to grant a bursary.
Awards on the other hand are given on the basis of merit (academic performance) and financial need of a student.
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