Accepted into the program, not awarded the scholarship. Now what?

[fififi]

Hello. 

I applied to joint master degree at IMBRSea (International Master of Science in Marine Biological Resources) program this year + Erasmus Mundus scholarship. A few days ago I got a notification of academic acceptance e-mail from them. I was accepted into the program BUT not awarded the scholarship. However, they accept me into the self funding basis and awarded partial tuition fee waiver. I still got 12 days until the deadline of confirmation for whether I'll take the offer or not.

Well, is there any possibility to secure a funding or grant for less than 2 weeks? To be honest I am VERY new to this and a bit skeptical  Also, for the very least scenario, I was thinking about a loan. I've searched for Erasmus+ Master Degree Loan and my university is not listed on the scheme (I am enrolling into Ghent University, Belgium) and a bit confused of what to do. Is it worth it to continue? Is it better to let this go and apply to other universities? Any thoughts, opinion, critic, will be appreciated!

[brainlass]

No, you can't get an external award in two weeks, if that's what you're asking. You can, however, email the program and tell them that you would love to attend, but are worried about supporting yourself financially-- Sometimes, they can help you out and scrounge up some more funding for you! No guarantees with this approach, but it doesn't hurt to try.

I think your best bet is to look into loans and consider how much you would have to take out, what the final amount paid back would be after interest, and whether or not you think it's worth it. Note: Google student loans in general for your country, not specific to your program/institution, if you're having trouble finding options. If you decide that the loans are not worth it to you, I would reapply to other programs next year in the hopes of better funding.

[fififi]

34 minutes ago, brainlass said:

No, you can't get an external award in two weeks, if that's what you're asking. You can, however, email the program and tell them that you would love to attend, but are worried about supporting yourself financially-- Sometimes, they can help you out and scrounge up some more funding for you! No guarantees with this approach, but it doesn't hurt to try.

I think your best bet is to look into loans and consider how much you would have to take out, what the final amount paid back would be after interest, and whether or not you think it's worth it. Note: Google student loans in general for your country, not specific to your program/institution, if you're having trouble finding options. If you decide that the loans are not worth it to you, I would reapply to other programs next year in the hopes of better funding.

Thank you very much! I will give it a shot 

[nautilus90]

Hi. I am in the erasmus mundus MER program. If you can afford the costs then I suggest you should go for it. My non-EU classmates where able to secure waiver and grants during our first semester.

If you are ranked well, close to the cut-off, then there is still a possibility of being awarded a scholarship. Usually, some of the selected applicants will be accepted in multiple programs.

[fififi]

10 hours ago, nautilus90 said:

Hi. I am in the erasmus mundus MER program. If you can afford the costs then I suggest you should go for it. My non-EU classmates where able to secure waiver and grants during our first semester.

If you are ranked well, close to the cut-off, then there is still a possibility of being awarded a scholarship. Usually, some of the selected applicants will be accepted in multiple programs.

I was thinking about getting a loan since my saving isn't enough and there is no way my family can help; but that's still a plan though.  At this moment, I am seeking for external funding and do whatever I could do. If not, well, perhaps I will just let this one go, reapply and/or apply to other programs for the upcoming term. 

[nautilus90]

9 hours ago, fififi said:

I was thinking about getting a loan since my saving isn't enough and there is no way my family can help; but that's still a plan though.  At this moment, I am seeking for external funding and do whatever I could do. If not, well, perhaps I will just let this one go, reapply and/or apply to other programs for the upcoming term. 

I think it would be better to re-apply next time. Build on your credentials and gain more experience.

[Mikkaela B]

I don't know much about your program or your country, but it has been my experience that they are willing to be very candid about your chances of being awarded more aid as you move forward. If there is a good chance your program can support you more in the future, that might inform your decision. If you do take a year off, ask if you can defer your acceptance rather than decline your offer. There is a lot you can do in the way of taking time off that does not require re-applying and possibly being denied the next year. 

[fififi]

@nautilus90: part of back up plan  thank you

@mikkaela B: thank you Mikkaela! I'm considering to ask them about this possibility