The US offers one of the widest selections of top universities in the world, and is very well-represented in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2018, with a US university appearing in each of the 48 subject ranking tables covered.

Read on to discover which US universities were ranked highest for these 48 subjects.

Read on for an overview of the highest-ranked universities in Germany for each of the 48 subjects covered in this year’s rankings.

Accounting & Finance

Harvard University is ranked both first in the US and in the world for accounting and finance, with 51 more US universities featured, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at second place and Stanford University at third.

Agriculture & Forestry

The US has 57 representatives in the agriculture ranking, led by the University of California, Davis at second place, with five more US institutions in the top 10, including Cornell University (ranked third).

Anatomy & Physiology

28 top universities in the US are featured in the global top 100 for anatomy this year, led by Columbia University in third place. Stanford University is close behind at fourth.

Anthropology

Harvard University is the leader of the US’ 31 entries in the anthropology ranking, ranked third this year. Three more are in the top 10, including University of California, Berkeley (UCB) at fifth.

Archaeology

Harvard University claims another top position for the US, this time for archaeology, for which it ranks fourth in the world. 47 more US universities are featured in the ranking, including University of California, Berkeley (UCB) at sixth.

Architecture

39 top universities in the US are found in the architecture ranking, led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in first place. UCB and Harvard also boast top 10 positions at fifth and sixth respectively.

Art & Design

The best place to study art & design in the US in 2018 is the Parsons School of Design at The New School, ranked second in the world. Also in the top five are Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) at third place and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at fourth.

Biological Sciences

Harvard University is the world leader once again, this time for biological sciences. MIT closely follows at second in the world, while Stanford is fifth. After these three, there 121 more top universities in the US featured.

Business & Management Studies

If you want to study business in the US, there are 70 top US business schools to choose from, led again by Harvard University at first in the world.

Chemical Engineering

There’s no shortage of prestigious chemical engineering schools in the US either, with 74 featured. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the world leader for this subject.

Chemistry

A whopping 107 US universities claim positions in the chemistry ranking, which is again led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at first in the world.

Civil & Structural Engineering

Of the 37 US representatives in the civil engineering ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is again the world leader.

Classics & Ancient History

The US claims 11 of the 50 positions in the inaugural classics & ancient history ranking, led by Harvard University at joint sixth.

Communication & Media Studies

63 US universities are ranked among the world’s best for this subject, with the University of Southern California the highest-ranked at second.

Computer Science & Information Systems

The US has 94 representatives in the computer science ranking, which sees Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) again rank first in the world.

Dentistry

There are 12 US entrants ranked among the world’s top 50 for dentistry, with University of Michigan the country’s best entrant at third in the world.

Development Studies

Harvard University is the highest ranked of the US’ 23 top universities for development studies, coming second in the world.

Earth & Marine Sciences

It’s a similar story for Earth & Marine Sciences – Harvard University is ranked second in the world, with 54 more top US universities ranked for this subject.

Economics & Econometrics

There’s a clean sweep of US universities in the top six of the economics ranking, with Harvard University in first place. An impressive 86 US entrants are featured.

Education & Training

If you’d like to study education in the US, Harvard University is again the country’s best option, ranked second in the world. There are 84 more US institutions in the ranking.

Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the number one both in the US and the world for electrical engineering, and there are 68 more US electrical engineering schools in this year’s ranking.

English Language & Literature

Harvard University is the highest-ranked of the US’ 82 entrants in the English ranking this year, at third in the world.

Environmental Sciences

University of California, Berkeley (UCB) is the world leader for environmental sciences, and 75 more US universities are featured in the ranking.

Geography

There are 35 top universities in the US in the geography ranking, with University of California, Berkeley (UCB) ranked fifth in the world and number one in the US.

History

Harvard University is the world leader once again, this time for history. 50 more US institutions are represented in this ranking.

Hospitality & Leisure Management

The University of Nevada - Las Vegas is the world leader in the hospitality ranking again this year, and 12 more US universities are featured.

Law

If you’re looking to study law in the US, Harvard University is the world leader, and there are 53 more top US law schools to choose from.

Library & Information Management

The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is ranked joint first in the world and is the highest-ranked of the US’ 17 entrants in the inaugural library & information management ranking. 

Linguistics

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the world leader for linguistics and there are 66 US entrants in total in this ranking.

Materials Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) again takes the top spot both in the US and the world, and the country has 70 more representatives in the materials science ranking.

Mathematics

Another bragging right for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as it’s also the world leader for mathematics. 76 US universities are included in this year’s mathematics ranking.

Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering

Of the US’ 74 top mechanical engineering schools, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the highest ranked – again claiming first place.

Medicine

If you want to train as doctor in the US, Harvard University is home to the world’s number one medical school. There are 91 more top US universities in the medical school ranking this year.

Mineral & Mining Engineering

Colorado School of Mines is the number one university in the world for mining engineering, and six more US mining schools are featured.

Modern Languages

Harvard University is the world leader in the modern languages ranking, and is joined by 48 US institutions.

Nursing

The University of Pennsylvania continues to be the world leader for this subject, and there are 100 more top US nursing schools featured.

Performing Arts

The Juilliard School is the number one performing arts school, and there are 28 more US institutions to choose from in this year’s ranking.

Pharmacy & Pharmacology

Harvard University again boasts first place in this subject ranking, and is joined by 58 more top US universities for pharmacy.

Philosophy

There are 53 US representatives in the philosophy ranking, led by the University of Pittsburgh, which is also number one in the world for this subject.

Physics & Astronomy

If you want to study physics and astronomy in the US, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the world leader, and there are 99 more US institutions to choose from.

Politics & International Studies

There are 45 US entrants in the politics ranking, with Harvard University again the world’s leading university.

Psychology

The US has 91 entrants in the psychology ranking, again led by Harvard University in first place.

Social Policy & Administration

Once again Harvard University is the world leader, with 28 more US universities joining it in this ranking.

Sociology

Harvard University also takes the lead for sociology, with University of California, Berkeley (UCB) close behind at second in the world. 60 more top universities in the US are featured.

Sports-related Subjects

If you want to study sports-related subjects in the US, the highest ranked of its 20 entrants is Pennsylvania State University at eighth.

Statistics & Operational Research

There are 54 US universities in the statistics ranking, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ranked first in the world, while Harvard and Stanford are joint second.

Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies

The US has 27 entrants in this ranking, with Harvard University again the world leader. The next highest-ranked US institution is Boston College at sixth.

Veterinary Science

And finally, if you’d like to train as a vet in the US, it has 18 top veterinary schools to choose from. University of California, Davis is the world leader, closely followed by Cornell University in second place.

By Sam Woolfe

People choose to work part-time for a number of reasons, such as balancing family and life with work, supplementing a freelance career or business, experimenting with different careers, and starting part-time in the hopes of becoming a full-time employee.

But whatever your motivation, there are some basic things to consider when choosing part-time work. With the following points in mind, you can thrive in your part-time role, and use it as the perfect stepping stone in your career path, whilst balancing it with your studies.

Figure out your finances

If you’re working part-time, then you may need to pay extra attention to your finances. It is, of course, true that some professions can afford you a living wage even if you work part-time, depending on the number of hours you work. Some of these lucrative career paths would include law, programming, and engineering. (Yes, you could very well be able to live in London and work part-time as a software developer if you have the right kind of clients or contract). 

If you find you have to work two part-time roles in order to live comfortably, you should work out what your salaries from both roles will be after tax. You then need to create a realistic outline of your monthly expenses – and then add an extra certain amount to that as a buffer.

You may currently be doing a job that you love but which doesn’t pay too well. So, while you may still lean towards another part-time role that seems interesting or exciting, it may be necessary to prioritize pay over passion; at least until you can focus on what you’re passionate about full-time. On the other hand, if you already have a well-paid job, but which you don’t really enjoy, consider what kind of role you’d honestly be thrilled to do. In this way, your part-time job could end up being a launching pad for a more fulfilling career path.

Many students work part-time to help fund their studies. After all, scholarships can be in short supply. If this is what you need to do, consider all the costs involved in doing your degree; not just the tuition but also accommodation, food, books and stationery, going out, and so on. Again, make sure to have a buffer so you’re not adding financial stress into your life, on top of everything else you need to think about.

Be realistic about your schedule

If you decide that you’re not going to work more than, say, 40 hours a week, then you may assume that two part-time jobs where you work 20 hours a week is ideal. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. For example, how far would it be to get from one job to the other? Would you have time for a break or lunch? This kind of situation may be manageable if one job includes a certain amount of flexibility and isn’t hugely taxing – but if both roles are very full on, then you may find yourself becoming exhausted.

If you’re looking to work part-time during your studies, you should have an idea of what your schedule will be like in terms of lectures, seminars, studying, and revising for exams. You will want to be able to have enough paid work so that you can easily fund your studies, but don’t want to work so much that you have little time to focus on your education. Be realistic about the fact that you need time to unwind, go out, and socialize. Constantly being in either work or study mode can be draining and ruin the value of both endeavors.

Find a job that complements your degree

Whether you’re already working or studying, finding part-time work which is complementary to either can really boost your career prospects. Your part-time work can complement your existing job or degree in a number of ways, including subject matter, skills or broader goals (e.g. making a positive impact, broadening one’s horizons, meeting people, and the general pursuit of knowledge). For example, if you’re studying a law degree, gaining part-time work experience in a legal setting will put you at a massive advantage by the time you graduate.

Finding part-time work that is complementary in some sense will add more purpose and direction to your life, and ultimately help you to excel in your career development.

Whilst it used to be the case that a part-time job required you to walk around and ask about, there has been a substantial shift towards online recruitment in recent years. Job boards have combined thousands of part-time jobs into a single, easy-to-navigate resource, allowing you to filter by region, category of job and even company - making searching for a job far more enjoyable, and stopping you from having to print out hundreds of CVs!

Sam Woolfe writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships and graduate jobs. You can find more of his work at www.samwoolfe.com.

Sponsored by University College Cork

Move over Paris; Cork has the wind in its sails.

Cork is making waves as a cultural destination, as its university courses and festivals continue to attract talent from all over the world.

Alex Palmer, from Texas, moved to Cork to study and broaden his horizons.  

Alex says: “I came to the school of music and theater at University College Cork, both because of the opportunities it offered me and the fact it was a very diverse program, which I felt very in tune with. I also really wanted a cultural experience and I couldn’t think of somewhere more diverse compared to Texas.”

Alex isn’t alone in being attracted to study in Cork: Ireland’s second largest city, located on the south-west coast, is home to a burgeoning art and cultural scene. Wander along the city’s revamped waterfront or through its colorful city center and you’ll find art galleries, vintage boutiques and music venues at every corner.

One of these, the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, is located at the university's main entrance and is particularly famed for its exploration of the visual arts. Condé Nast Traveller have described the gallery as "striking", saying: "The Glucksman art gallery hosts contemporary exhibitions and installations by national and international artists. The museum also focuses on educational pursuits, offering children’s art classes, curatorial tours and talks with artists, and has its own restaurant and cafe...the Glucksman Gallery is three floors of warm, dry entertainment.”

Every summer Cork is home to a number of festivals. Earlier this month, Cork Midsummer Festival drew in crowds from all over Ireland and beyond. As part of the festival, the local university amphitheatre was the stage of a day-long celebration of hip-hop.

The event drew in performances from the cream of rap, dance and musical talent and the Ireland’s Got Talent 2018 champion Billie Jeans, as well as a panel discussion on race and post-colonialism.

Griffith Rollefson, a lecturer in popular music at University College Cork (UCC), helped organize the event.

He says: “To make a long story short, when Union Black [a collective of hip hop dancers and circus artists] came to the Midsummer Festival, there was an opportunity to explain racial and postcolonial issues.

“So I called my contacts in the local hip-hop community and they made it out all the way from Dublin, Clare and Limerick.

“It was a chance to get hip hop artists on the same stage with lecturers. Hip-hop is a way to address issues that are most often not addressed in public discussions.”

That's a wrap for the @UCCcreative @CorkMidsummer Hip Hop Takeover! #Midsummer18 #PureCork @ucccreates @cybergriff @StevieGrainger pic.twitter.com/A6mcUNi4zK

— UCC Ireland (@UCC) June 16, 2018

A new partnership between Cork Opera House and University College Cork

Pictured: Mary Condon O’Connor, BA Theatre Studies UCC, Stage Management Intern, The Wizard of Oz and Rhiannon Connick, BA Theatre Studies UCC, Stage Management Intern, The Wizard of Oz. 

Building on its involvement with the Midsummer Festival, UCC announced this year that it will be working together with the city’s opera house to continue to grow as a cultural destination.

The exciting eight-year project will make it easier for students training at UCC to become arts managers, creative practitioners and professionals. Placements will be available for them in the areas of organizational management, marketing, production, business development and stage management at the opera house.

The scheme will also see the launch of a new master’s in arts and cultural management jointly-run with the opera house.

Starting in September 2019, the new master’s in arts and cultural management will be led by Dr Marie Kelly, who has worked at the Abbey Theater in Dublin for several years, and Eibhlín Gleeson, Chief Executive of the Cork Opera House.

Eibhlín Gleeson says: "The new internship programme will see UCC students engage directly with the business function and the artistic function of the opera house.

“This will really make a difference in terms of creative leaders of the future.

"This master’s will deliver a really broad perspective on the business side of arts management, how to successfully run an arts organization, how to successfully manage yourself as an individual artist and how to engage the entrepreneurial spirit.”

Interested? Find out more about international admissions to University College Cork here.

By Sarah Dixon

Congratulations! After perfecting your CV, acing the aptitude test and nailing the interview, you’ve received a job offer. You’ve got exactly what you wanted. However, it’s still worth taking some time to consider the answers to the following questions before you accept.

What are you giving up?

It can be tempting to only look forward to an imagined future where you’re loving every minute of your new job. Of course, chances are that everything isn’t perfect where you are now (or you wouldn’t be looking elsewhere) but there will probably still be things you miss.

Is moving really worth giving up the sense of camaraderie that you have with your current office? While it’s easier than ever to stay in touch thanks to social media, will it really happen once you’re settled into your new role? Are there opportunities for you within your current company that might take longer to become available in your new role? Consider all this before you sign on the dotted line.

Will you be better off?

The most common reason for changing jobs is to get more money, either immediately or through career progression. But don’t forget to see the big picture; higher earnings can mean moving to a higher tax bracket, so use one a take home pay calculator to make sure you’ll be bringing home more in your new role.

Don’t forget to factor in other expenses such as travel costs, childcare, the cost of clothing if you’re used to working in a uniform etc. Even minor differences, such as giving up a subsidized canteen, can make a difference over the course of a year.

What if it doesn’t work out?

Let’s say that you get six months down the line and you just hate your new role. What would that mean to your prospects? Is it likely to be harder or easier to find another position a few months or a year down the road? Will you have to stick the job out for a while, even if you don’t like it?

And what is your next step, after this one? Thinking in the long term can help make the decision easier. Is this role really helping your climb your own particular career ladder, or would you be better off holding out for something else?

Is the new company really great?

How stable is the company, financially? Are you being taken on in the hopes of a new contract coming through, and could the position evaporate in a few months’ time? It may be worth looking into the financial prospects of a company, and credit check companies offer a single company service if you have real concerns.

It’s probably also worth reaching out to your own social network to see if you have friends of friends who are working there. What do they think of the company and its future? You could also check sites such as Glassdoor, which allow staff to review their employers.

What would your commute be like?

It can be easy to dismiss a longer commute as a minor inconvenience, but it’s much more than that. Commuting has a big impact on our health, and even a few hours more in a car over a week can lead to headaches, high blood pressure and back pain. It’s also worth checking how long the journey will take at the time you would be leaving. Although it’s only half an hour away, if it takes an hour or more during rush hour that’s a big chunk of your time that will disappear when you make the move.

Finally, if you’re feeling pressured by the new employer to make a decision, that’s probably not a good sign. While it’s reasonable that some roles need to be filled urgently, asking for some time to make sure that it’s the right decision for both of you shouldn’t be a problem. You want to make the right choice!

Sarah Dixon writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships and graduate jobs.

Australia is becoming the second most-popular study destination with overseas students, replacing the UK in this position, according to research from University College London (UCL)’s Centre for Global Higher Education.

Australia has been consistently rising in popularity with international students, having welcomed more than 600,000 in 2017, a 13 percent growth on the year before. An increasing number of these came from China, India, Nepal and Brazil.

The official figures on student numbers from UNESCO will not be released until the end of year, but UCL’s researchers believe Australia may have already overtaken the UK. This is a stark contrast to 2015, when the UK received 136,000 more international students than Australia.

The Brexit Effect?

But how much is the UK’s decision to exit the European Union a factor in these changes? UK universities actually reported a surge in applications from EU students in 2018, which can be attributed to a ‘last -minute rush’ by these students to get a place at university before the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. These students, who will begin their courses in September this year, had also received the assurance from the UK government that they would be entitled to the same fees and funding as home students, even after the UK leaves the EU. It was also recently confirmed by the government that EU students commencing their studies in autumn 2019 will be entitled to the same fees and funding as home students.

With this confirmed, it seems likely that there won’t be a drop in applications to UK universities in the 2019 academic year. However, some international students appear to be questioning how friendly the UK is, perhaps making other study destinations more appealing.

The UK government is keen to retain visa-free travel for EU nationals (and is hoping this will be reciprocated for UK nationals traveling to the EU) following March 2019, but there is currently no indication on whether new EU students will need to pay international tuition fee rates from 2020 onwards.

UK universities have been campaigning for the government to remove international students from net migration targets, but there are no plans to do so, despite a recent report indicating that they bring more than £20 billion to the country's economy every year.

A spokeswoman for the British Council said that international students are "an immense source of long-term influence and soft power for the UK".

She also said the UK was competing with countries with "welcoming visa policies" and "comprehensive international education strategies". This makes it important to “reinforce and open up international channels for the UK”.

Canada also rising in popularity

As well as Australia, Canada is also catching up with the UK and taking a rising proportion of the lucrative international student market - the QS Applicant Survey 2018 found that Canada has replaced the UK as the second most-popular study destination with prospective students in Africa and the Middle East. With students from Asia-Pacific, Australia replaced the UK as the second most-popular study destination, slipping down to fourth.

The author of UCL’s report, Professor Simon Marginson, says “What we are seeing is a seismic shift in the global student market. UK higher education is still highly valued internationally, but the government has held down the growth of international student numbers for five years, by limiting new student numbers and post-study work visas. Meanwhile, competitor nations are strongly promoting their international education.”

Would you choose Australia or Canada over the UK? Let us know in the comments below.

Strong leaders are highly sought-after worldwide, and many universities pride themselves on nurturing the next generation of leaders, innovators and decision-makers. For this reason, leadership scholarships commonly offered; universities are keen to attract and support students who show leadership potential – as a way to nurture an innovative spirit on campus, as well as ensuring an alumni community full of impressive achievements.

See below for a selection of scholarships to support future leaders, for studies around the world.

To study anywhere

• Jusoor Scholarship Programs – Opportunities for Syrian students to gain leadership and academic scholarships to study in the US, Europe and the Middle East.
• QS Leadership Scholarship – Exclusive international postgraduate scholarship open to attendees of the QS World Grad School Tour who demonstrate leadership, to support the costs of a graduate program (excluding MBAs) anywhere in the world.

To study in Australia & New Zealand

• Asia Pacific Leadership Program Scholarships – Various international scholarships for aspiring leaders from within the Asia-Pacific region to study at selected institutions throughout the region.

To study in New Zealand:

• Emerging Leaders’ Scholarship @ UC – Merit-based scholarshipsfor students from New Zealand or Australia with leadership potential to gain funding for study at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

To study in Australia:

• Charlie Bell Scholarship for Future Leaders – Scholarship program for McDonalds employees in Australia to further their studies in leadership and/or business at an accredited Australian university.
• European Global Leaders Scholarship @ the University of Queensland – Merit-based scholarships for European students to study at the University of Queensland in the faculty of business, economics and law on a master’s degree program (excluding the MBA). The university also offers a Global Leaders Scholarship to students from Indonesia.
• Engineering leadership Scholarships @ the University of Sydney– Undergraduate scholarships for engineering students with leadership potential at the University of Sydney in Australia. Only open to Australian citizens/permanent residents.
• International Leadership Scholarship @ Monash University – Undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students showing leadership potential at Monash University in Australia.
• Queer Leaders Scholarship @ Monash University – More merit-based scholarships from Monash University, open to all LGBTQ students active in promoting inclusivity and awareness of gender and sexuality. More scholarships for LGBTQ students are listed here.
• Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship @ UWS – Undergraduate scholarships for new students at the University of Western Sydney in Australia, to gain funding for studies and access to ‘The Academy’ – UWS’s leadership center. Only open to Australian citizens/permanent residents.  

To study in Europe

• German Chancellor Fellowship for Tomorrow’s Leaders – Scholarships open to students from Brazil, China, India, Russiaand the US to study in Germany at an accredited university. Leadership experience is a must.

To study in the UK:

• Future Leaders Scholarships @ RHUL – Scholarships for EU and home students with leadership potential to study at Royal Holloway University of London in the UK at undergraduate level.
• Global Leaders Scholarships – Undergraduate scholarships for international students wishing to study an undergraduate degree at the City, University of London.
• Leadership and Emerging Leaders’ Scholarships – UK scholarships for nurses, midwives and health professionals to gain funding for leadership development in the UK. Funded by the Florence Nightingale Foundation.
• Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship and Leadership Programme @ the University of Oxford – International development, conservation and environmental management graduate scholarships for students from certain developing countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East to study at the University of Oxford on a related graduate program.

To study in North America

To study in Canada:

• Entrance Leadership Scholarship Competition @ University of Alberta – Undergraduate scholarships for the University of Alberta in Canada, open to Canadian students who show academic ability and leadership potential.
• Nelson Civic Leadership Scholarship – Scholarships for Canadian students outside Quebec who have an interest in community development and leadership wishing to gain funding to study at undergraduate level at a Canadian university.
• Schulich Leader Scholarships – Undergraduate scholarships for leading students in STEM fields at accredited Canadian universities. Excludes medicine and medical research.
• TD Scholarships for Community Leadership – Scholarships for Canadian students involved in community development, human rights, politics, youth engagement or social work to gain funding to study at universities across Canada.

To study in the US:

• Coca-Cola Scholars Program– Merit-based scholarships for US students to gain funding for undergraduate study in the US.
• Comcast Youth Education & Leadership Scholarships– Undergraduate scholarships for US students to gain funding for university and to get involved in community development and leadership.
• Emerging Global Leader Scholarship @ AU– Scholarships for international students with an interest in leadership and development to study at American University in Washington DC.
• Emirates Leadership Initiative Fellowship @ Harvard University – US scholarships for outstanding students from the UAEand Arab countries to study at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (Center for Public Leadership).
• Global Leaders Need-Based Scholarships – Need-based scholarships for international students with an interest in leadership, to study in the US.
• Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes – Leadership scholarships open to US and Canadian citizens who show potential for making a positive difference in their community and/or environment.
• Hunt Leadership Scholars Program @ SMU – Need-based scholarships for students displaying leadership potential at Southern Methodist University.
• Leadership 1000 Scholarship – For US students studying in Washington State.
• National Student Leadership Scholarship @ NC State – Offered by North Carolina State University in the US, open to students involved in ongoing leadership activities.
• Posse Foundation Scholarships – Academic scholarships for students from underrepresented backgrounds in the US to gain funding for university and to develop their leadership potential.
• Presidential Leadership Scholarship – Non-degree scholarship to hone leadership skills on a six-month program in Washington DC.
• Stamps Leadership Scholarships – Various opportunities to gain funding to study at select universities in the US and outside.
• The Leadership Award @ UC Berkeley – One scholarship offered yearly to high-achieving undergraduate students with leadership potential at the University of California, Berkeley.
• The Texas Lyceum Leadership Scholarship – undergraduate scholarships for young Texans with leadership ability wishing to study in Texas.

To study elsewhere in the world

• MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship Program – Open to motivated students from underrepresented communities in the Middle East and North Africa to gain funding to attend a reputed university in the Middle East.
• Hinrich Global Trade Leader Scholarships – International scholarships for graduate Chinese students interested in studying business and leadership at master’s level at Hong Kong Baptist University.

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If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, you should make sure to search the website of the university or business school you want to study at, to find out what funding opportunities are available. For more advice on how to find scholarships and how to apply, please see our complete guide on How to Find Scholarships to Study Abroad.

This article was originally published in March 2015. It was updated in July 2018.

With tuition fees and living costs both on the rise in recent years, UK students are suffering the ultimate strain on their financial wellbeing. Save the Student’s recently published National Student Money Survey revealed that an overwhelming majority (61 percent) of students claim their Maintenance Loan is not enough to live on or cover rent, and a further 52 percent feel that the Student Finance system is simply unfair.

The statistics have also shown that while only 15 percent of students are consulting their universities for financial support in times of money crises, a shocking 11 percent are turning to gambling, clinical trials and even adult work to help with basic expenses. Read on for a deeper insight into the hard-hitting facts and statistics.

Shocking statistics

The National Student Money Survey has shown that one in 10 students are using their bodies to save themselves in emergency financial crises, and this is due to the lack of financial support they receive from parents, universities and Student Finance alike. The findings also discovered that the majority of students are not coping well with finances at university – 78 percent of the 3,167 students asked are struggling to make ends meet, and 76 percent are having to rely on part-time work for extra cash (five percent of whom said they are using their bodies for medical trials, life modeling and various forms of adult work). Astonishingly, the figure is twice as high (11 percent) when students find themselves in unexpected financial predicaments.

The survey also reported other risky money-making methods, including gambling – five percent of struggling students are resorting to this option for everyday finances, while three percent are doing it for emergency cash. The number of student gamblers taking up the chancy business for their day-to-day finances has seen a drop by two percent since last year, while for those doing it to save them from financial emergencies, the figure has decreased by just one percent.

Two percent of UK students are offering their bodies for clinical trials in exchange for money – five percent more are doing it for emergency cash.

The 2018 National Student Money Survey has revealed that two percent of UK students are undertaking risky clinical trials in exchange for a higher student bank balance. Even more astonishingly, these numbers seem to have witnessed a significant rise when the survey reported seven of the 11 percent of students who resorted to risky money-making behaviors partook in the ordeal for some remarkable earnings when faced with emergency costs.

Clinical trials and the risks

When people offer their bodies as guinea pigs for medical experimentation in exchange for some money, they have consensually partaken in a clinical trial. Although they have their benefits, such as helping to guarantee the safe consumption of the drugs being tested, the process is often controversial with many, and the unpleasant truth that some university students have found themselves resorting to the option serves to add even more fuel to the fire.

As is the case with most quick money-making methods, clinical trials come with their own risks and dangers – which is no surprise since using a healthy human being to test new drugs and physical therapies is bound to bring about the general risks of trial-and-error. The results can include short-term as well as long-term side effects, which of course could pose some serious threats to one’s health.

Trials can last up to several weeks, and payment will depend greatly on the duration of the tests as well as the time you spend on the trial and how many days you showed up to the clinic – not on the type of test or drugs involved. This also means that it is uncommon for volunteers to be requested to stay in a hospital throughout the duration of the trial.

Although clinical trials are designed to be as safe as possible for those taking part, some of the drugs are likely to cause relatively trivial side effects, such as nausea and headaches, but other drugs could pose more severe risks that include fainting and even losing consciousness for a few days.

Three percent are turning to adult work amidst their financial struggles, with a further one percent resorting to it in financial emergencies.

The consequences of the apparent lack of support from Student Finance unfortunately does not stop at voluntary medical tests. Of the 11 percent of students involved in unconventional methods to make money, three percent are partaking in adult work for financial sustenance, while four percent are turning to it in sudden cash crises. The most common forms of student adult work include ‘sugar dating’ (without sexual relations), sexting, phone sex, participating in live adult cam shows and even prostitution. The number of students who generally chose to take this route has risen by one percent from last year’s survey.

As reported by The Telegraph in 2015, a ‘sugar daddy’ dating website claimed that 1.4 million profiles were those of students worldwide, who were promised anything up to £3,000 a month to accompany men to restaurants, events and functions.

The quirks of social media

Save the Student’s survey also included some candid interview segments from UK students that are involved in sex work, all of whom credit their involvement with the industry to social media.

(All names have been changed on request.)

First year student Siobhan, from the University of Liverpool, admitted that her sudden participation in adult work came after she accepted a strange and unanticipated social media invitation: “I never really meant to get started! I had tweeted about wanting money so I could go to an event and afford to eat. The next day I woke up to a direct message from a stranger offering to pay me in exchange for ignoring him and insulting him online.” She added, “He called himself a ‘pay pig’, which is like a sugar daddy but without the sexual aspect. Since then I have used both Twitter and Seeking Arrangement (a sugar baby/sugar daddy website) to find pay pigs and sugar daddies.”

Siobhan said that her decision came about as an alternative to securing a part-time job because of her demanding academic schedule: “The best thing is that it’s not really work. I don’t have to get a part time job to be able to afford to live, which means I have more time to focus on my degree.”

She also confesses that her typical income through this bizarre form of adult work is around £50 per week and an extra £5-10 per photo of her “feet or socks”.

As testament to students dabbling in this industry due to an urgent financial dilemma, Siobhan admitted that the money has helped her in emergencies, “like when I accidentally lost my keys and had to pay £30 to replace them all.”

It isn’t just women in adult work

Despite the common misconception that selling sex is mainly (if not exclusively) a ‘females-only’ job, the cases put forward by Save the Student have proven that male students are also experimenting with unusual forms of adult work to help pay for their expenses. Matthew, who is a first-year student at Canterbury Christ Church University, revealed a rather impromptu social media occurrence which led him to become a temporary foot fetish worker: “Someone messaged me on Instagram and offered me money for a photo of my feet. They’d seen a picture from my photostream of me on holiday wearing flip flops, and that’s apparently all it took!”

Matthew stated that his below-average financial circumstances at the time made it difficult for him to reject this awkward request, “I was struggling with money at the time so I obviously wasn’t gonna turn it down. After that I used Tumblr to do it a few more times.”

He also admitted how much money he was able to earn, as well as the motives behind his repetitive pursuit for foot fetish clients on social media: “I’ve made about £200 overall. It helped me when I was really struggling with food and stuff; that’s when I would turn to doing it.”

Matthew also specified the unsurprising cons (and pros) of taking up foot fetish work: “The best thing is it’s so easy to do. The worst thing is having to pretend I’m into it, so people actually buy photos. They don’t ask for specific things, just different angles and close-ups, really.”

Training is offered to new adult webcammers who could make up to “a grand a week”

As if the facts aren’t sickening enough, one second-year student, Carmen from the University of Kent, confirmed that after her joining the webcamming industry she was provided with training through social media, “The agency I used does training via WhatsApp: they send text, video and voice notes about how to set up your account, along with everything you need to do before you begin camming. They also offer ongoing support via a group chat, where they answer questions and offer advice scripts.”

Additionally, Carmen exposed some staggering potential figures from adult webcam earnings, saying: “If I worked consistently, I’d be making a grand a week easily.”

She also non-regrettably expressed relief at the knowledge that she will always have “a back-up option and never be completely stuck without any source of income”.

The dangers of getting involved in adult work

It is no secret that participating in any form of adult work will inevitably come with a range of risks and dangers, which could have a profound impact on young people’s lives.

In 2014, former sex worker Gwyneth Montenegro gave an interview to The Independent to talk about her experiences of being a sex worker for 12 years, and to advise young women about the dangers of the escorting business. She highlighted the physical dangers, stating that, “There is always the threat of physical violence, because people think they can get away with it. Men have paid good money to spend time with you and sometimes they think they own you.” She added, “This can manifest in rougher than usual treatment to physical restraint and may even manifest in other forms of violence.”

Montenegro also specified the emotional effects that accompany adult work: “The mental and subconscious repercussions have a lot to do with what you feel about yourself. You know you’re operating outside the bounds of societal norms and there is a huge stigma attached to being a sex worker. You can feel ostracized, alone, unwanted and disposable.”

She went on to add: “You’re often worried about the ramifications of the exposure to various STDs, too.”

Turning over a new leaf

Montenegro’s escorting business came to a continuous halt when “a drug-induced haze” left her fighting for her life in a serious car accident: “Faced with a near death experience, it was time to re-evaluate my life and I didn’t like what I saw. I will never forget that sickening feeling, deep in the pit of my stomach, as I waited for the results of a series of STD tests. What had I done with my life? Why had I been so foolish?”

Following her decision to leave the adult work industry for good, Gwyneth was able to turn her life around. She successfully completed her studies and is now a fully qualified commercial pilot and NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Master Practitioner, teacher and trainer. 

So why are students resorting to such desperate measures, and what needs to be done?

Save the Student’s money expert, John Butler, has whole-heartedly expressed that students involved in sex work – whether by choice or as a last resort due to financial strains – should be able to receive the appropriate support that they need. He highlights the fact that individuals involved in these types of industries “still face an unfair stigma, and many may fear repercussions from their university over their choice of work”. He added: “Universities need to continue their efforts to provide support and create spaces in which students feel safe accessing advice, to ensure all students are aware of their rights and can practice their work safely.”

Mr Butler also acknowledges that Student Finance and a general lack of support from universities is to blame, saying that, “The statistic that fewer than half find it easy to get help from their university is a concern”, and adding: “This once again raises my concerns about the gap between living costs and the Maintenance Loan. It’s simply not the case that all parents or students can find that much extra cash.” The maximum amount available for a Maintenance Loan for students living away from home in England (outside London) is currently £8,700, falling more than £3,000 short of the average annual amount students need for living costs (£12,000).

Sarah Lasoye, Women’s Officer of NUS UK, strongly upholds the view that rather than taking action to change some of the truths that lead students to take such extreme measures, more needs to be done to support the rights of sex-workers: “The cost to live and study in the UK makes sex work, and the rights of workers involved in it, just as much a student issue as tuition fees or student housing. That’s why more should be done to defend and extend those rights.”

“To do so, we will be working closely with organizations such as the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) and Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement (SWARM) to advocate for the decriminalization of sex work, and to oppose further legislation, such as the recent US FOSTA-SESTA style legislation, which could place many student sex workers in considerable danger.”

Picture this: you’re sat in a job interview for an internship, palms sweating, trying your best to answer your interviewer’s questions as best you can, when suddenly they ask “So, did your parents go to university?”. A bit of a strange question, but okay. You answer no. “Oh, so were you the first in your family to go to university?” Again, you sort of wonder why they want to know, but hey, maybe we’re moving on to small talk now? You say yes. “And did you qualify for free meals when you were at school?”

You answer truthfully to each question, but leave the interview scratching your head, wondering how any of those questions were relevant, and if your answers were the right answers. Surely it would be illegal to reject you as a candidate just for being from a poorer background?

It sounds implausible, but as reported by The Telegraph, according to a report by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) almost half (45 percent) of employers really are asking students these questions during interviews for internships, which is a three-fold increase on 2012. Thankfully, this isn’t to discriminate against applicants from poorer backgrounds. In contrast, there are concerns that employers could end up penalizing well-educated students by selecting candidates from poorer backgrounds, in an attempt to ensure that these backgrounds are well-represented in their workforce.

Don’t get me wrong, I think diversity in the workplace is important, and the UK’s biggest employers are under increasing pressure to boost diversity. However, to me the best person for the job is always the most well-qualified applicant, the person who can most bring the right skills and knowledge for the job – regardless of their social background, or any other aspect of their personal details, such as religion or sexuality. Just like it doesn’t matter what religion they are, it shouldn’t matter if they went to a private school like Eton or a comprehensive school in a deprived area, it shouldn’t matter if they got free school meals or ate caviar for lunch every day, and it shouldn’t matter if they were the first in their family to go to university.

I think most of us would rather be hired based on our own merits, rather than to fill some sort of quota on having enough employees from certain backgrounds. It would be patronizing to hire someone for being from a poor background rather than for being the best candidate for the job, and it would be unfair to exclude someone who went to Oxbridge and had a privileged background, including well-educated parents, but was, in every aspect, the best candidate for the job. As Stephen Isherwood, CEO of ISE says, it is all about context: “It is not about rejecting an Eton-educated candidate to let someone else through. It is about letting both through [and recognizing that] someone from a lower socio-economic background may not have had the same advantages.”

What do you think? How would you react if employers asked you about your economic background in an interview? Let us know below.

Every year, QS and Concordia University in Canada collaborate to offer a scholarship to one lucky international postgraduate student. The scholarship has this year been awarded to Indian student Bhigya Pande, who will now be exempt from paying the international fee rate at Concordia.

Bhigya will now study a Masters in Applied Computer Science at Concordia, commencing in September, having previously studied a Bachelor in Engineering in India and worked at the multinational technology company IBM. He hopes that the degree will enable him to customize his studies based on his evolving areas of interest, and (as the course name implies), acquire skills which can be put to practice and applied to further human progress.

He says: “During my final year I realized that graduate study is imperative if I wish to influence the wave of change in a way in which I can fully unleash not only my own inner creativity, but also the untapped potential in the huge field of data science and artificial intelligence.”

While India is home to numerous reputable engineering institutions, Bhigya was attracted to studying abroad in the US or Canada due to the huge spectrum of rigorous, high-quality education available, but decided on Canada as some relatives had studied there and spoken highly of the multi-cultural international exposure they gained from their experiences.

Bhigya was also attracted to Concordia University’s Applied Computer Science course due to the flexibility of being able to customize courses based on his interests, and he’d also like to improve his knowledge of French as a second language, making the multicultural, Francophone city of Montréal an ideal base for this.

After completing his degree, Bhigya can see himself working at major companies such as like Deloitte or Amazon, which have offices all over the world and a diverse, international workforce. However, he says “Working with and for an organization is just a medium – a medium of my own self-expression. In the long run, it is my desire to bring all my studies and learnings to practice and provide applications and solutions that help enhance facets of human life.”

Advice for other applicants

Bhigya is very grateful for this scholarship and the huge morale boost it gives him, and has this advice for other students who are applying for scholarships: “Don’t ever give up before even trying, even if it is a small scholarship, because you never know, you may be the one who wins that scholarship.

“Also, keep in mind that even a small scholarship will help you a lot in your studies, as you’ll be able to concentrate more on your studies rather than finding ways to meet your basic monthly expenses. While applying for the scholarship always proofread your applications, because even small mistakes can ruin your chances of winning one.”