Not Just for Tuition: Stipendier, Saddles, and Saying Yes to Unlikely Things
Like many former horse girls, I thought that part of my life was over. Growing up, horses were a huge part of my world, but I assumed riding had become one of those things I'd left behind, particularly after moving abroad. Then I found out about the Uppsala University Riding Scholarship.
Each spring and autumn term, Uppsala University quietly opens applications for a range of scholarships, and one of them just happens to be for weekly riding lessons at a stable about 15 minutes from Ekonomikum. It’s not widely advertised, and it’s definitely not limited to equestrians or advanced riders. Anyone enrolled at the university can apply, regardless of experience. You don’t need gear. You don’t even need to know how to ride. You just need to write a short motivation and submit it on time.
When I applied, it was out of nostalgia more than anything else. I wasn’t expecting to get it. But a few weeks into the spring term, I received an email saying I’d been selected, and suddenly, once a week, I was back in the saddle. The lessons were low-pressure, structured around small group instruction, and thoughtfully adapted to each rider’s level. My group included both beginners and people who’d been riding for years. The instructors were kind, the horses gentle, and for one hour every Thursday afternoon (and before enjoying Stocken’s Thursday club!) I got to step out of the academic bubble.
What I appreciated most was the way the scholarship made space for a part of my identity I didn’t realise I’d missed. It was a quiet joy in the middle of a very intense semester. More broadly, the riding scholarship is part of a much larger (and often overlooked) system of stipendier, grants, and scholarships offered to current students at Uppsala University. These aren’t grants simply limited to covering tuition fees or academic excellence. Many are funded through historical donations and have specific, sometimes niche, criteria. Some support thesis work, others fund travel or research abroad, and a few, like the riding scholarship, are just there to holistically enrich student life in a more personal way.
Every term, the university opens a new application round. You’ll find the list of available scholarships under “Scholarships for Current Students” on the university website. Applications usually open in January/February for spring, and August/September for autumn. The process is simple, often just a brief motivation letter and your student information, but it’s easy to miss if you’re not actively looking. And international students can and should apply. These scholarships aren’t just for Swedes, and in my experience, not enough international students know they exist, or feel confident enough to apply.
So consider this your reminder. Check the university’s scholarship page. Apply for the things that interest you, even if they feel unlikely. Especially if they feel unlikely. You don’t have to be the most qualified. You just have to be the one who is determined enough to apply. And if you were once a horse girl, or always wanted to be one, well. The horses are still here.
– Orla, , International Secretary
