Are you puzzled about the reasons why you should apply for scholarships?
Are you an undergraduate student worried about the recent hike in tuition fees?
University education in Nigerian public universities is tuition-free, thus federal universities rely mostly on funds from the government and grants from non-governmental organizations, civil societies, or international funding support schemes.
This was the order of the day until the recent government announced the termination of the funding of some government bodies from the federal purse including universities owned by the federal government. Since this announcement, several universities have announced an increase in sundry fees. These fees represent in some cases, 400% of the previous amount students of these university paid in the previous session.
Though the Federal Governmnet also promised to make the Students’ Loan available to as many students as possible. These loans however, come with conditions, criteria, and restrictions. We have provided for you in this article, a better alternative or rather a solution to this quagmire – Scholarships.
In the following paragraphs with exegesis, we will outline for you several reasons why you should apply for a scholarship in 2023 as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
First, let us take a look a what these scholarships entail.
Scholarships
Has anyone ever bough you a gift, package it in a gift box, and even paid for the dispatch to deliver it to you, in exchange for hard work towards your own success? That is what scholarship seems like.
Several government (Ministries, NNPC, State Governments, Bilateral Government Relations) and non-governmental organizations (Mastercard, Shell, JBC, Success Within International, and several others) provide funds for indigent but hardworking and excellent students to help them pursue their dreams of earning a degree.
Some of these scholarships come with living stipends, accommodation fees, costs of all stationery, transportation allowance, as well as travel and visa costs for international scholarships, and all you have to do is apply using your documents and maintain your academic excellence throughout the sponsorship period.
Having understood what scholarships are all about, we can discuss the reasons why you should apply for scholarships.
Scholarships for You
Why You Should Apply for Scholarships
Scholarships can change your life as a student. It has the ability to even tell on your academic performance as well as sociological and psychological state of being. Imagine all you have to do is just study, attend lectures and write tests. No worries about what to eat, tuition fees, housing or faculty dues.
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- Tuition/Sundry fees hike
Students attending federal universities in Nigeria will have to break the bank to pay the sundry fees for the next session. Schools like the University of Lagos has recently announced an increase in fees from less than N40k to N190K (fees are relative depending on departments), others such as the University of Maiduguri, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, University of Nigeria Nsukka, and Bayero University, Kano.
It is important to note that an increase in the sundry fees does not translate to any increase in parents’ income or student’s performance, rather it adds to the burden. So why not let scholarships bear this burden for you?
- Scholarships pay your tuition/fees, irrespective of the hike
Some scholarships offer to pay your full tuition directly to the institution or indirectly to your bank account while also keeping your sundry or tuition fees in consideration. Scholarships like The Ibadan Descendants Union of Greater Washington, and The Bridge Scholarships and several others will pay your tuition directly to the university while PTDF, NNPC, pay directly into your account.
In both cases, education and studying made easy. All you have to do is just apply.
- Not every student is eligible for loans
The eligibility requirements for applying for Federal Government Student Loans can only be met by than one-quarter of the students studying in Nigerian Federal universities. Only students whose parents are not able to earn an income of N500,000.00 per annum are eligible. More so, the repayment process commences after the National Youth Service a period of psychological meltdown for many students as hundreds of thousands of graduates usually find the difficult to secure jobs.
Some scholarships even proceed to secure jobs, internships or placement opportunities for you after your graduation. So why not apply?
- Scholarships enable you use your earnings for other things
Many students work while studying in order to fend for basic needs. While some take up tutoring jobs, others take up part-time menial jobs, or even remote ones.
Be a recipient of one or two scholarships that cover all your expenses enables you focus on your studies and not necessarily participate in part-time jobs, and even when you do, your income become an extra, and ultimately stays in your pocket.
- Current Economic Woes
Are you still in doubt as to why you should apply for scholarships? Okay. Permit me to remind you that the federal government no longer pays subsidy, and fuel has now become N617/litre; it is even higher in other parts of the country. Inflation stands at about 22%, unemployment 33%, and exchange rate has been on the high rise about N870/$.
The nation is set for tough times all in a bid to rebuild for a better future, but that cannot be at the expense of your education and career. Consider applying for scholarships and believe me, one successful application, just one will change your story.
- Scholarships encourage you to maintain excellence
Winning a scholarship requires hard work, academic excellence, volunteering, commitment to national development, and in fact a strong positive mindset. This pushes you to study and do well in your quizzes, tests and examinations in order to make good grades.
Scholarships like SWI Scholarships is ready to fund your studies till graduation once you maintain a 3.5/5.0 CGPA. Would you not be poised to push and work harder to better your grades?
- Enjoyment, Amusement, and Excitement
Scholarship money is free money. A reward for your struggles to understand the complex formulas in class, participate in practicals and projects, write term papers, sit quizzes, tests, and even examinations. If you are yet to secure your dream scholarship, kindly keep pushing, your congratulatory letter is near.
However, the excitement of a single offer makes you forget all the stress of exams and the stress you went through to apply. Some scholarships such as the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program caters for your housing, and its cleaning. Foods are even served to some of these scholars. Scholarships are relieving, you may want to try applying if you have not done so today.
Explore More Scholarship Opportunities Below
Now that you have agreed that applying for scholarship in 2023 is a necessity as an undergraduate or postgraduate student in any Nigerian university, we will implore you to start your application immediately.
To begin with, we have compiled a list of scholarships for your perusal.
Conclusion
In the wake of economic hardship, rising cost of living, and increase in the fees charged by universities, applying for scholarships have become very necessary.
Scholarships are always available for both indigent and non-indigent students provided you are able to display academic excellence and maintain the good grade.
So pack up your documents, click on the scholarships we have provided for you above, apply, and await your congratulatory message.
Good luck hunting!
For more updates on 2023 scholarships, Click HERE.
