Editing Scholarship (section)

=== Origins in medieval Europe ===
One of the earliest examples of organized financial support for students is at the [[List of oldest universities in continuous operation|oldest operating university]], the [[University of Bologna]], in the 12th century. There, students formed associations called ''nations'' based on their geographic origins and pooled resources in "loan chests" to help one another pay off debts and educational expenses.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Fuller |first=Matthew B |date=July 7, 2014 |title=A History of Financial Aid to Students |url=https://ir.library.louisville.edu/jsfa/vol44/iss1/4/ |journal=Journal of Student Financial Aid |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=42-68 |via=The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository}}</ref> The origins of modern scholarships trace back to medieval Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries, where they took the form of charitable patronage. Initially, financial support for students was provided as a gift between wealthy families, with later funding extended to low-income students as acts of piety, penance, or mercy. The ethos of supporting students was rooted in Christian teachings that emphasized care of the poor and the promotion of pious learning.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Wilkinson |first=Rupert |title=Aiding Students, Buying Students |date= |publisher=Vanderbilt University Press |year=2025 |isbn=0-8265-1502-9 |pages=66-77 |language=en}}</ref>