Week 27: I received my Scholarship, Finally

Last year, I was awarded a Scholarship for degree and exchange study in Estonia from HARNO (Education and Youth Board of Estonia) 🇪🇪. The scholarship is for international students and pays €350 each month for 10 months 💶.

After receiving the good news, I set up my master’s thesis on FPV drone pilot training 🛸. The scholarship was supposed to provide the necessary financial support for buying a drone, upgrading my devices, and attending local FPV group events to research user needs 🛠️. The topic is challenging and expensive—something I usually avoid in my career—but this felt like the perfect chance ✨.

However, the payment was delayed ⏳. By February, I couldn’t stand the delay anymore and sent my first follow-up letter 📨. Shortly after, I received my first payment of €1,400 for the year 2025, which I used to buy a Mac mini and an FPV drone for training 💻.

But then, the payments stopped again 🛑. As my schedule became tighter, I couldn’t spare the energy to chase the money. I had to self-fund the project, but eventually, my funds ran out 📉. I was forced to submit my intermediate results as my final thesis, which unfortunately led to a less-than-ideal grade 📑.

After the defense, my current supervisor invited me to apply for a PhD position 🎓. Though exhausted, I had to start working on the proposal while moving out of university accommodation 📦. Needing financial support, I inquired about the delayed money again, but this time I was told to wait until after graduation 👥.

By this month, I had been graduated for two weeks, and the money was still missing 🕒. More urgently, my school account was deactivated, and I worried my email would be next 🚫. I emailed the board, and they claimed the funds had already been sent to the university. Instead of asking my study counsellor—who usually just told me to wait—I emailed the university’s financial office directly ✉️. They forwarded my query to the person responsible.

Two days later, I received a lengthy email explaining that a miscommunication between the board and the university caused the delay 📑. Finally, the remaining payment arrived in my account today 🎉.

The scholarship delay indirectly harmed my master’s thesis and might affect my PhD application due to my lower grades 🛑. The damage cannot be undone. Now, I have to focus on how to use this money next: fixing my broken phone screen, replacing my watch battery, and finding a place to live 🏠.