Chris Keating, 31/05/2018 15:50:
Therefore, the observation that some people get scholarships several years in a row is not strong evidence that the selection process is somehow biased towards a select few...
True. Personally I would not state that there is such a bias, although there might be (mostly because past applicants know how to file successful applications).
But I do state that the system is not redistributive, and might even be regressive (using concepts from fiscal policy). This is not an accusation: it's just not designed to be.
Federico