Family, accomodation and visas

Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the Cranfield Australian Alumni Scholarship. The FAQs have been divided into nine categories. However if your answer can’t be found here please DON’T hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.

You can also find our supporters group for the scholarship  on www.linkedin.com.

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What about my partner/family?

Accommodation for students with partners and families is obtainable. The social environment at Cranfield is very partner friendly.

I have a young family. Will this weigh against me when applying for the scholarship?

Many students studying at Cranfield have young families. Because of the age group this scholarship is geared for, it would not be a surprise that the recipient has a young family.

Do I need a Visa to study at Cranfield?

Yes, Australian citizens DO need a visa to live and study in the UK.
There’s some information on the UK High Commission website.

Once you receive your offer from Cranfield, it is a pretty straight forward process – time is the biggest issue, since there is no way to expedite the visa. You should visit the UK High Commission website for information on how long it takes to obtain a visa and what the requirements are.

I had planned to apply for the scholarship this year, but am finding due to other constraints (family / financial/ work ) that I will now need to apply next year instead. Will this disadvantage my chances for winning the scholarship?

We understand entirely that getting things lined up to go overseas for a year to study is major logistical issue. People have financial commitments, spouses, often young children, work projects etc which are all part of their lives and it takes time to make all the necessary arrangements. That’s why we keep track of where people are and what year they think they may apply. If you need to change it, just email us and we will move you to a later year.

In terms of likelihood of winning the scholarship, possibly it may be the case that as the number of applicants grows in future years, then you will be competing to win the scholarship amongst a larger pool; however, it is difficult to say for certain that this will be the case. But, it is the desire of the alumni to fund more than one scholarship in the future years. So there may be more scholarship places on offer.

One of the 2010 finalist’s partner gave birth during Cranfield year. One of the 2007 finalist had his 40th birthday at Cranfield. So clearly, neither age nor family situation is disadvantaging factor.

So our advice is, take the time you need to get your life organised, so that you (and family) can go and you are ready to throw yourself into the experience and get the maximum out of it. If this means you delay your application one or more times – then that’s fine. At CAASF, we are patient.