Nigel Thompson Memorial Scholarships
The Nigel Thompson Memorial Scholarships are worth £3,000 per year for undergraduate students. Two scholarships are available each year to the most academically talented students from families of lower income.
These scholarships were established in recognition of the late Nigel Thompson.
Nigel and his twin brother Neal Thompson each graduated with a BSc in Economics from York in 1990, but Nigel was tragically killed at the age of 33 in the September 11 attacks on New York.
Neal is funding the scholarships in memory of his twin brother, who was "never afraid to reach for his dreams."
In January 2017, Neal pledged a gift to the University of York; this gift has established the Nigel Thompson Memorial Scholarships, which will provide support to undergraduate students in the Department of Economics.
Other funding opportunities
Open to UK (home) students only.
Open to students in the Department of Economics and Related Studies.
Funding is available for a maximum of three years and subject to continued attainment of grades.
You must meet all the essential criteria to be considered for a scholarship:
- you are holding an offer to study a three-year undergraduate degree at the University of York's Department of Economics for entry in September 2024
- you are a permanent resident in the UK, classified as Home (UK) in university admissions procedures, and you have an annual household income below £42,875
When applying for your student finance, you and your parents must grant consent to Student Finance to share your household income assessment with the University. This enables us to check eligibility. The awards will be paid in four installments each year for three years.
Application deadline: Monday 21 October 2024, 11.59pm BST
We will be inviting eligible candidates (via email) to apply for the scholarships in October 2024, asking applicants to answer the question: what you hope a degree from the Department of Economics at the University of York will help you achieve (300 words maximum).
Successful applicants will be notified as soon as possible.
The scholarship has certainly improved my access to professional development opportunities at York. Without the pressure of needing to find a part-time job, I have been able to partake heavily in York Community Consulting, and deliver results of really high value. I joined as a Project Manager before progressing to Strategy Director. Here, I was responsible for a team of consultants, working with real-life clients solving complex problems and coming up with innovative solutions, exceeding clients expectations. It has been an incredible experience and attribute to my personal and professional growth here at university. This enabled me to learn a vast variety of skills and overcome so many personal Page 3 of 8 challenges. I have also been an active member of the Music Society, partaking in Faure's Requiem and doing two lunchtime concerts with my close friend, playing a variety of French 18th Century piano and flute duets. T
Thank you so much for such an amazing opportunity that has contributed to my personal and professional development over the past year. I have absolutely loved watching myself grow and I'm so excited for what's to come! A university education is not only important for the course itself, but the bundles of opportunities that become available to you so easily that you aren't able to get in any other way. I have managed to enjoy such a vast number of different opportunities this year through the university, and being able to play in two of my own concerts for the Music Society was certainly a highlight!
- Eleanor Dykes, BSc Economics and Finance, second year, Jan 2023
"The scholarship has been a big motivating factor for me to work harder and push myself in my course which has led to good grades, such as 89% in my maths module. Additionally it has allowed me to buy more books and read outside of my course, helping me discover a passion for behavioural economics. Your generosity has helped me enjoy my first year of university and without it I wouldn’t have had access to many opportunities or had as many amazing experiences so far. I cannot thank you enough and I hope to be able to repay the support you have shown me in the future. Your scholarship support is a motivating factor to push harder in my degree as it shows a great deal of belief. It has completely enhanced my university experience and I’m sure it will for anyone else who receives this scholarship."
- Sam Probert, BSc Economics, Dec 2022
"The scholarship has had a huge effect on my first year and is something I have been incredibly grateful for. It has allowed me to ensure that I have high quality resources, to push myself as far as possible, and make use of the incredible learning opportunities that I have access to. The scholarship has also allowed me to decrease my number of working hours, which means that I have been able to focus on my academic work further. The financing has also opened my eyes to the possibility of future job opportunities within multiple graduate schemes, and in the summer I completed a two-week work experience placement within York and Scarborough Teaching Hospital’s Finance Department. I have also lined up an internship, which will take place over Summer 2023 - which will further enhance my learning.
I am exceptionally grateful for your generosity and it is an absolute honour to hold the scholarship in memory of Nigel. I am confident that the scholarship will continue to make a significant difference to my university life, within the next two years of study".
- Ben Wilson-Mayor, BSc Economics, Dec 2022
"The scholarship has directly helped me, not only by giving access to things that otherwise were financially unviable, but also by allowing me to not worry as much when it comes to finding the money for my next rent payment, or money to go food shopping, especially with the increasing costs of things. Moreover, the scholarship has also allowed me to spend time with my mum and brother at home, and visit my dad more recently who had to have a large operation in hospital this year.
A university education is important, not only due to the interests in academic disciplines and the chance to go deeper into that. But also because it teaches life and work skills that would otherwise be hard to obtain. For future students who receive the same scholarship I would say to make sure they enjoy themselves but to also maintain good grades, essentially to find a balance. I really am very grateful for your support".
- James Winter, BSc Economics, Dec 2022
"My scholarship has been pivotal to my success over the last year. It gave me the ability to support myself financially in a way that I wouldn’t have previously had the capability to do. I could afford to buy my own laptop, work fewer hours so that I could spend more time studying, joining societies and get access to higher class revision materials such as textbooks for my course that I otherwise may not have been able to afford. I contribute a lot of my recent success in relation to University to the help that I get from my scholarship, not only in terms of monetary help, but also the support and opportunities that I am offered. Without my scholarship I would not be progressing as well as I feel I am now, and for that, I couldn’t be more grateful."
- Caitlin Curtis, Nov 2020