Cphbusiness graduate collects 375,000 DKK in grants

- My stay abroad would not be possible without the generous support that I have received. Not at all.

These are the words of Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen, who turned in her bachelor project at Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Cphbusiness in January 2016.

Today she is studying on her dream education, a master in Music Business at New York University. A dream that could only become reality with financial support, and this is why she began to apply for grants.

- I have sent 98 good, thoroughly prepared grant applications this year. I went all in, since it was the only way I could fulfil my dream about getting a master in Music Business at New York University, she says.

Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen.

So far Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen has received 375,000 DKK in grants, but the situation was very different in the beginning of the application process:

- In the end of February, I had a list of 20-25 scholarships, and I could see that I could not travel for the money from the small list of foundations, she tells.

That is why she got help from the Danish company Fundraising.How that specialises in making tailored grantlists for students.

- It was a huge help. They made a long list of several grants I could apply for, and they gave competent feedback on my application, says Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen.

Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen kept track of her grants throughout the whole process.

A single grant worth 150,000 DKK

Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen has received 15 grants, and even though all of them make a big difference, the 150,000 DKK grantfrom The Denmark-America Foundation and Fulbright Commission really made an impression on her.

- When I received the big grantfrom The Denmark-America Foundation, for the first time I was convinced that I would get enough money. Initially, it was an enormous economically relief, she says and continues:

- I had fallen for a very expensive university in a very, very expensive big city. The grant is a huge pat on the shoulder and a recognition of my former jobs, studies and projects – and not least my ambitions for the future. And in the long run, it may mean even more. 

Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen and her class visited Warner Music Group.

The application process in the world of grants can be comprehensive, because you among other things may have to apply in English, says Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen, who also praises her former lecturers at Cphbusiness when she explains why she received the big grant.

- I am lucky. I got admitted at an American top university, I have completed my former studies, and I have experience in the industry I want to make a career in. Furthermore, I got a lot of help from the lecturers I met at Cphbusiness. I got great recommendations and competent feedback on the way, she tells.

Five tips when applying for grants

Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen has gathered some good advice for you if you consider applying for grants:

• Be aware that it is worth putting in great effort when applying for grants.
• Begin in good time! If you know you want to go, then there is no time to waste. Start applying even before you know if you are admitted or not. Several foundations give a so-called conditional commitment, which means that you get the grant if you get in.
• Get help to get started if you are completely green.
• Do not be afraid to say why you are a fantastic candidate. Do not hold yourself back.
• Emphasise why it is you who match the grant. The foundations get a lot of applications, so they should not have to spend time figuring out why they should support you financially. Instead, tell them clearly, why they have to.

Now that Cecilie Maria Haurits Nielsen has made it through the long application process, it is all worth it. Not only financially, but also at the personal level, she says:

- I have really learned something about myself in the process: To dare to speak out loud about what I am good at, and what I dream about.