Self Selection
My understanding is that to apply for the ATPL scholarship one needs to already posess a class 1 medical certificate. I know this is for very practical reasons but at around £400 this seems to make the scholarship unaccessable to the very people its trying hardest to help. I.e. people without the bank balence to fund training.
I'm a uniersity student and I've felt the hole in my bank balence from the CTC Wings fee let alone shelling out to the CAA as well. I've wanted to apply to the scholarship for a couple of years now (graduating this year so finally available for training!) but at this point in time £400 is going to be hard to come by.
I'm committed to a career in aviation so I'll find the money somehow, but at that price its not massivly surprising that alot more people don't apply. All that money for a very long shot at flight training is not that brilliant sense for supposedly economically aware captains of the future.
(I'm playing Devil's Advocate here a bit but the point seems a fair one...)