I became an undergraduate student of a Federal University in Nigeria in 2019 and happened to have a lodgemate who is an orphan, who singlehandedly took responsibility to finance his education as an undergraduate student. It wasn't surprising to see my dear neighbor take up lots of menial jobs every week to earn enough cash to sort out his tuition fees, accommodation, book costs, feeding and other expenses.

On some occasions, I have had to join in some of the menial jobs he introduced me to, because I was also in dire need of financial help to complement the stipends I was receiving from home; which was barely enough to sort out the exorbitant cost of books, association dues, feeding and other living expenses as an undergraduate.

I knew scholarships existed but I wasn't properly informed on how I can access them, neither was I connected to channels where I can get information on available undergraduate scholarship opportunities that I could harness to finance some of my academic demands. I once asked my dear lodgemate if he didn't try applying to scholarships because I thought he should be aware of them. According to him, scholarships required 'connections' to be awarded and he didn't have any.

The only scholarship I applied to in my first year was Shell Scholarship, but unfortunately, I wasn't shortlisted among the awardees.

The story stayed the same in my second year, with the only difference being that I had gotten in some WhatsApp groups in school and got informed on few scholarships that were available then, to which I applied to the 4 of them.

A shocker😳....I didn't get selected for either of them. Oh my! I was as frustrated as you can imagine.🤦‍♀️

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The continued part of this write-up will be up on my blog here tomorrow, remember to check it out. The answer you are looking for is here!!!