You might think that in order for someone to give you money for school you need to have the best results in school and at tests. This is the general opinion of what a scholarship means and it is partly right. Students do get financial help if they prove they are exceptional in a field, but the level of that mastery is oftentimes relative and there is another way, the bursary.

If you are worried about how you are going to pay for your tuition fee you are probably eligible for a bursary. This is a sum of money that is offered not merit-based, but means-tested. This means that you will need to prove that you parents earn a combined income that is under a set threshold and you will get the money you need for school without needing to repay it ever again. But this does not mean that you cannot also get a scholarship, you can get both. They do not exclude one another so the best way is to go for both as that way you will able to pay for your studies in full and still have some money for an occasional pizza.

Merit-based scholarships are awarded to people that are truly talented and who, otherwise, for the lack of money, may slip through the cracks and never get noticed. Very smart people don`t always come from the right socio-economic background and it is not their fault, they need to be helped and often are. Scholarships are a gain to everyone as everybody gains from talent that is not wasted and instead used for something good.

Some organizations measure merit in a more conventional way and offer the money based on the results to conventional tests while others offer them based on the exceptional talent or potential discovered in some fine arts. There are also plenty of contests that you can participate in in order to get a scholarship and you can apply with one of your works or take part in actual contests.

The bottom line is that you could go for both types of financial aids. You should apply for a bursary and at the same time see what scholarships are a right fit for you and how you can apply successfully for them. Trying in several places will mean success in at least one.