A student has an offer to study at your college. They want to accept, but their family cannot cover the full cost. They need to know: are there bursaries, am I eligible, how much could I get, how do I apply, and will I know before I have to accept my place? The answers decide whether they come at all.
Scholarship questions and bursary enquiries come from applicants for whom money is a real barrier. Answering them clearly, consistently and kindly matters.
The questions applicants ask
- What scholarships or bursaries are available?
- Am I eligible?
- How much are they worth?
- How do I apply?
- When is the deadline?
- When will I find out?
- Can I combine different types of support?
Script 1: what is available
Applicant: Are there any bursaries? Answer: Yes, bursaries are available for students from lower-income households, and there are merit scholarships for some courses. The funding page lists each one with eligibility criteria, amounts and deadlines.
Script 2: eligibility
Applicant: Am I eligible for the bursary? Answer: Eligibility is based on household income and is set out on the funding page. The student support team can talk through your situation confidentially.
Script 3: timing
Applicant: Will I know before I accept my place? Answer: Bursary decisions are usually made within four weeks of applying. If you're worried about timing, contact the student support team, who can advise.
Fairness and consistency
Every applicant should get the same information about the same schemes. Answers from a single published source are fairer than answers that vary with who replies. SpideyChat for education providers answers from your published funding information at any hour, the same way for everyone.
Handling individual circumstances
Personal financial situations, complex family circumstances and appeals should go to funding staff, confidentially. The assistant should direct applicants to the right team, not assess their situation.
Funding alongside fees and accommodation
Funding questions usually come alongside fees and accommodation, covered in fees and funding questions from prospective students and student accommodation questions before enrolment.
Clear processes in other sectors
Any process involving eligibility and claims benefits from clarity, from warranty claims in retail, described in warranty claims and faulty item questions done properly, to financial advice, covered in how financial advisors use chatbots to answer client questions.
Script 4: combining support
Applicant: Can I get a bursary and a scholarship? Answer: In many cases, yes. The funding page explains which schemes can be combined. The student support team can confirm what applies to your situation.
Script 5: hardship during the course
Student: My circumstances have changed and I'm struggling financially. Is there help? Answer: Yes, there's a hardship fund for current students facing unexpected financial difficulty. Please contact the student support team confidentially, and they'll explain how to apply.
Students already on a course sometimes face sudden difficulty. Knowing help exists can stop them dropping out. Make sure the hardship fund is mentioned on the current students pages as well as the applicant pages, because students rarely go back to admissions content once they have enrolled.
Reaching those who need it most
Students who most need funding are sometimes least likely to ask. Publishing funding information prominently, on course pages as well as a funding page, and mentioning it at open days, helps them find it.
To see how funding questions would be answered, try an assistant on your website, or see the features.