University is an expensive undertaking and in Bermuda we are indeed fortunate to have a variety of scholarship resources.Check out the Bermuda scholarship website www.bermudascholarships.com and watch the newspaper from Easter onwards, as advertisements for scholarship opportunities are prolific.Scholarship TipsŸ Be organised: stay on top of deadlines, gather all pertinent documents and make copies of everything you submit.Ÿ Be honest: focus on the scholarships for which you are truly eligible and don’t reach.Ÿ Follow instructions carefully: Send in everything requested.Ÿ Proof read! Typos and missing material can cost you a scholarship.Ÿ Send your application packet by registered/certified mail to ensure receipt.Ÿ Scholarship applications usually require:o Academic qualifications: a list of all schools attended from high school onwards;o Any academic awards received;o Original transcripts: request them well in advance, they will be sent directly by the school;o Extra curricular activities;o Proof of status — for Bermuda scholarships (complete the Confirmation Letter Request Form at the Department of Immigration $12.00);o Letter of personal recommendation (from someone who has known you for at least 3 years);o Letter of academic recommendation;o Certificate/letter of acceptance by university or college to be attended;o Letter from the university supporting their tuition fees;o Statement of income and expenditure;o Details of any other scholarships, education grants, awards or student loans received and or applied for;o Essay(s): stick to word limits and expect to answer questions related to your essay(s) during your interview;o Have someone review your application.Student visasUSA: Once you have notified the college/university that you are accepting their offer, the school will send you a completed I20 US Immigration Eligibility Form for a foreign student.You can then apply for an F1 student visa. www.usimmigrationsupport.orgCanada: Find out everything you need to know and apply online for a student study visa at www.CanadaInternational.gc.caUK: Find out everything you need to know and apply online for a student study visa www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/It is also helpful to really understand the different types of universities and colleges that are available and what they offer.Business College/School: Business schools generally fall into two categories those specialising in business administration or in two-year secretarial courses with supplementary liberal arts courses, or other institutions which offer business or secretarial courses and may or may not be regionally accredited.College: An institution that offers educational instruction beyond the high school level in two-year (Associate, AA or AS) or four-year programmes (Bachelors). Colleges are usually smaller than universities.Community College: Two-year public institutions of higher learning, which provide vocational training and academic curricula, both terminal (an academic programme that is complete in itself) and transfer (an academic programme that is designed to lead into a four-year course at another college or university).Engineering/Technical College: An independent professional school, which provides four-year training programmes in the fields of engineering and physical sciences.Graduate school: A university offering masters, doctoral or professional degrees after the completion of a bachelor’s degree.Junior college: A two-year institution that offer programmes similar to those in the community colleges as well as one-year certificates in certain trades and technical skills.Liberal Arts College: A four-year institution that emphasises a programme of broad undergraduate education. Pre-professional or professional training may be available but is not stressed.Nursing School: There are three kinds of nursing schools. At schools affiliated with hospitals, students receive an R.N. (Registered Nurse) degree upon completion of their training.At schools affiliated with four-year colleges, students receive both BS (Bachelor of Science) and RN degrees and have potential for entering the field of nursing administration.Other schools offer Licensed Practical Nursing Programmes of at least one year’s duration.Students interested in Nursing as a career in Bermuda need to contact the Bermuda Nursing Council at the Ministry of Health, Point Finger Road, (phone: 2360224) to verify which qualifications from which colleges are accepted in Bermuda.The Bermuda Nursing Council keeps a detailed catalogue of all accredited colleges and universities.Technical School: A two-year institution, which offers terminal occupational programmes intended to prepare students for immediate employment in fields related to engineering and the physical sciences.These schools may also offer one-year certificate programmes in certain crafts and clerical skills.University: An academic institution which grants undergraduate (Bachelors) and postgraduate (Masters and Doctorate) degrees in a variety of fields and which supports at least two degree-granting schools that are not exclusively technological, such as medicine, journalism, or agriculture.It is composed of a number of schools or colleges, each of which encompasses a general field of study.In the United Kingdom the following additional qualifications are available:Certificate of Higher Education: The first year of a degree course.Diploma in Health: A three-year course specialising in health-related courses, for example midwifery.Higher National Diploma: A two-year course, which if completed with higher grades, can lead to a third year of a degree.Foundation degree: The equivalent of the first two years of an Honours degree, which may be studied full or part time and consist of academic study integrated with relevant work-based learning undertaken with an employer.It may be studied as a stand-alone qualification, or it may be followed by the final year of an Honours degree.