We’re pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s QS Undergraduate Scholarship is Lawrence Ogina. The scholarship, first awarded in 2017, awards up to US$10,000 to one student starting their first year of a bachelor’s degree at any QS-ranked university.
We caught up with Lawrence to find out more about his study plans and to learn his tips for a successful scholarship application.
What are you studying, and why did you choose the university you’ve applied to?
I am studying Civil and Environmental engineering at the University of South Carolina (U of SC). I chose U of SC because of their acclaimed engineering program and because they will allow me to study engineering while training in dance at the same time on the same campus.
What do you hope to gain from your degree? How will it affect your career plans?
I have always been intrigued by how physics and mathematics has been used by civil engineers to solve societal problems and I would love to gain this knowledge and use it to be a part of a team that creates solutions and everyday problems.
How did you find the scholarship application process? How many sources of financial aid did you approach?
The QS application process was much better than other scholarships. Some friends in the UK suggested it to me, as many of the scholarship opportunities I had found online were more geared for women.
I also applied for financial aid in the States and for scholarships at the university, but was told that because I had been accepted so late I would have to apply for help next year as a second year student. I’ve done a lot of crowdfunding to raise the difference.
What difference will this scholarship make to you? How would your plans have differed without this financial support?
The scholarship covers a third of my total tuition and without it I would not have been able to attend this year. I would have had to fundraise again to be able to pay the entire fees and try for next year instead.
What advice do you have for other prospective students who are applying for scholarships?
The first thing I would tell them is not to give up. When I was told that I couldn’t get any help financial help from the university I was devastated, but then I found the QS Scholarship. Secondly, I would also really recommend they look to crowdfunding if all else fails.
