<p>I’m applying to one of Oxford’s postgrad program and have a question about the application. I’m a little confused about the “About your funding” section. Am I expected to give a detailed account of how he will cover the expenses? Also, what if it were the case that I wanted to apply for various scholarships offered either by the university or the different colleges? </p>
<p>I am also applying for various outside scholarships.</p>
<p>I know I’ll probably end up taking out a lot of private loans, but I don’t want to write down such a large amount that would result in jeopardizing my possibly getting a scholarship that would cover a large fraction of my expenses. The total amount of money i’m borrowing to finance my undergraduate studies is already too much. lol</p>
<p>I guess, I’m worry about what to put down because I don’t know what my financial status will be in the future…</p>
<p>Any helpful suggestions from anyone who’s gone through this process? I’ve talked to a grad student who attended oxford, and he told me not to worry too much about this section, but I would just like to have a clear idea what to put down.</p>
<p>I’m assuming you’re applying for a Masters level degree?</p>
<p>Essentially, Oxford needs to know what you can afford to pay. Of course, if there are university/college scholarships available you should apply, but you also need to realise that the chances are, you’ll be paying much of your own way. </p>
<p>Basically, be honest. You will NOT miss out on getting uni/college scholarships if you say you’re considering taking out loans, because the scholarship awards office will not see that bit of your application. Most scholarships are awarded based on academic merit - if you have serious financial need, they will award you a grant, but these are rare. </p>
<p>If you’re taking out loans, tell them. If you’re applying for internal and outside scholarships, tell them. If you’re covering your costs through work, tell them. If you can’t cover your costs, tell them - if they want you they’ll make it work. Bear in mind that if you don’t disclose your financial situation now, you may be in trouble later since admission is usually conditional on your ability to pay. Obviously, if you have a financial emergency later on, they will be lenient, but they won’t be impressed if you say now you can cover your costs and then turn up at your college office on the first day of term unable to pay your fees.</p>
<p>What course are you applying for btw? I’m a current Oxford undergraduate - I’ve also just applied for the MSt. Linguistics If you have any questions about Oxford generally, feel free to ask!</p>
Don’t worry, scholarships are merit based. Writing about loans won’t affect them. I don’t think you need to to detail the costs in detail. Just put something like “using private loan if no scholarships availabe”. As laylah says, sometimes acceptance is conditional on a bility to pay (always in the case of internationals as far as I know) so this is why they want to know. So if they decide to accept you they can work out if they need to help you find money.</p>
If you have any questions about Oxford generally, feel free to ask!</p>