DS offered scholarship! DH wants him to negotiate it?

[MiddleOfThePack]

DS has been offered a scholarship at a London uni, which is great & we're really proud. It's for a uni that's actually his no.5 choice, so he may say no anyway.

Thing is that instead of just saying well done, DH now wants him to write back and say thanks, but can you up your offer?!

Do people actually do that or do you just say yes or no, as it's an honour to be offered one in the first place?

Don't embarrass your son. See it as an honour.

No these are rare and typically non negotiable

Seems grabby and very bad manners anyway.

DH is stupid as mine can be eg vet visit today OH thought he could negotiate because vet did not pick up a lump on last visit. I could brain him

Oh goodness. Please don't do that.
These tend to be fixed sums and aren't negotiable.

DS (now first year at university) was offered "entry scholarships" with four of his five offers. These were essentially bribes financial incentives; fixed sums of money offered on the condition that DS made that university his firm choice. They are commonly offered to applicants who are likely to exceed the required grades, presumably in the hope of dissuading them from looking somewhere more competitive.

One university also offered him an additional music scholarship, with free instrumental lessons (this was for a degree unrelated to music).

He ended up firming the only offer which didn't include a financial incentive, as that was the course (and university) he liked the most.

How rude 🙀

OP: what I'm trying to say is that if this is his 5th choice, it sounds as though there's the possibility that this university needs his application more than he needs their offer. I would encourage him to aim higher and firm the one he likes the best.

Does he have other offers? From 1-4 of his choices? Which university is best for his possible career? Usually no 5 is where you might consider if all else goes wrong and a scholarship is a bribe really. A nice way of saying we want your bum in our seat because you look better than our normal bums. They also think he will go elsewhere. It’s a bribe - so leave it there if the other universities are superior.

we want your bum in our seat because you look better than our normal bums

@PresentingPercy has put it far more succinctly than I did.

What’s the degree? Perfectly normal to negotiate scholarships and bursaries in my subject, but they’re talent, artistic performance on audition and means-based, so a little different.

I negotiated my own scholarship for 3 years in a row (it was reviewed each summer) but I had to explain my reasons for it and support the re-review application accordingly.

Standard academic degree at a normal university? I wouldn’t dream of negotiating, no. Dance, music or sports based niche degree at a small, independent and specialised institution? Yes, he should ask for more if 1) he think he’s worth more than what they’ve offered, and/or 2) he couldn’t accept the offer without more money.

1) he think he’s worth more than what they’ve offered.
It hardly matters, they've clearly offered him either a non negotiable fixed amount or what they consider he's worth.

@saraclara

Either I got my tone wrong, or you misread it, *@TheGlassBlowersDaughter*. I'm not remotely snobby since my relatives are mainly in manual jobs and I totally respect them for what they do and their work ethic. It just made me laugh that OP's DH thought the educational world worked like sales (or business or whatever field that negotiating monetary terms works for).

If I got your tone wrong, I apologise.

This reminds me of the TV property programmes where a couple find the perfect house/flat for 50k less than their top budget. It’s excellent value. Wife/girlfriend is tearful as it’s so perfect. Meanwhile DH is “determined to get a bargain” and starts negotiating. They’ll get to a sticking point, the vendor will suggest splitting the difference, and the DH will refuse to budge on the last £1k. It’s clearly some strange pride thing about having the last word irrespective of whether it’s sensible or not. Happens time and time again and it’s always the man

@GreyhoundG1rl

1) he think he’s worth more than what they’ve offered. It hardly matters, they've clearly offered him either a non negotiable fixed amount or what they consider he's worth.

As I’ve said, depends on the industry. In mine it’s all about mind games and recruitment strategies so they will never offer you the full amount they’re thinking of. You can always push for more. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s definitely something we all do when going into higher education.

I've never heard of a university scholarship. What are they and where do I find information on them? (I went to Uni and have never come across them before.)

@Mumdiva99 they were mostly an innovation connected to the introduction of university fees - did you go to uni back in the old days before fees? Scholarships were beginning to be offered by a few universities by the mid 2000s when I had a job in the sector. They seem a lot more common now though.

For terminology - usually a scholarship is offered on the basis of academic ability - usually as judged by A level results, and it can be possible to qualify for a scholarship even if not in great financial need.
A bursary is offered on the basis of financial need, and it is possible to qualify for a bursary even if not particularly a star pupil. However, a lot of universities combine the two concepts and might well have bursaries which you need to have financial need and also meet a minimum academic level, or scholarships which are awarded to those who get AAB in their A-levels but only if they also have some level of financial or widening-participation factor.

I work in uni admissions and I don't see this going well. We have long lists of candidates and strident criteria to follow.

@Mumdiva99

I've never heard of a university scholarship. What are they and where do I find information on them? (I went to Uni and have never come across them before.)

My daughters friend had one, she’s a very very very high achiever. Her masters was paid for and her living expenses. I think you can find out via ucas or via individual unis.

Bursaries are for very low income families and scholarships are for really high achievers.

Thanks @KihoBebiluPute and @bluntness100. I did indeed go back in the pre-fee but post grant days.

I will look these up now in case my kods could benefit when their time comes.

I suspect the ops son is exceptional at something, and a lower tiered uni has basically offered to pay or partially pay for him if he attends, as it gets their results up, they want to attract better students. It doesn’t seem it’s the best uni for him, and that’s a judgement call. Because in some fields the actual uni is really very important. So the scholarship may be a disadvantage if it means he goes to a lower rate uni, but on the flip side he’s debt free.

It’s basically one uo from the unconditional offer.

The bursaries, or hardship funds, are very different.

They don't honestly mind if he turns it down, there will always be another candidate if the amount offered isn't enough of an inducement and they can't magic up more dosh.

This. Particularly if the scholarship is from a research council. There may be additional amounts for meeting steers (targeted research areas), but these will have been advertised at application stage. Beyond that, no negotiation.

@Bluntness100

Is the scholarship 100% of tuition and 100% living expenses? It cannot be or OP’s DH would not want to negotiate upwards. The DS in question surely won’t be debt free?

So the scholarship may be a disadvantage if it means he goes to a lower rate uni, but on the flip side he’s debt free.

I don't think there are many scholarships nowadays which would leave the student 'debt free', or anywhere close to that.

[quote PresentingPercy]@Bluntness100

Is the scholarship 100% of tuition and 100% living expenses? It cannot be or OP’s DH would not want to negotiate upwards. The DS in question surely won’t be debt free?[/quote]
My daughters friends was but it doesn’t seem the ops sons is, she’s not said,