Scholarships announced for disadvantaged Black British students

Posted on 15 February 2021

The University of York is collaborating with the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, to provide scholarships for disadvantaged Black British students.

The aim of the scholarships is to improve inclusion

The University will cover the tuition fees for six students over the next ten years, with the first scholarships to be offered for students studying from September 2021. The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation will cover maintenance and living costs.

The aim of the scholarships is to improve inclusion in higher education and to allow students who have the educational ability to study to a degree, but who may experience financial barriers.

Breaking barriers

Professor Kiran Trehan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Partnerships and Engagement at the University of York, said: “We work very hard to widen access to higher education, but appreciate there is still much more to do to break down the barriers that people face as a result of their race or social background.

“Our new scholarships with the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation will go some way to addressing these issues, and we look to supporting our scholarship students to realise their ambitions when we welcome our first cohort at the end of this year.”

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation is a registered charity that helps eligible students attend a range of British universities, regardless of what subject they decide to study. The Foundation also offers mentorship, role models, and resilience programmes for scholarship students to ensure they make the most of their study opportunities.

Access

Professor Richard Oreffo, Professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the University of Southampton and Founder of the Foundation said: “Access to university should not be limited by race or social class, but unfortunately this is not the case for all in our society.

“We are delighted in this new partnership with the University of York, providing six scholarships for Black British students over the next decade that has the opportunity to transform lives.”

For information on applying to study at the University of York visit: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/applying/