University of Portsmouth launch care leaver scholarships

Offered in collaboration with the Unite Foundation, the new scholarship will be available to five students for whom a secure home is of particular importance.

People who will be able to apply include care leavers and young people who are estranged from their parents.

Successful applicants will each receive free university accommodation throughout their degree, provided by the Foundation’s main sponsor Unite Students. They will also receive an annual cost-of-living allowance of £3,000.

The scholarships will be available from September 2015.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith signed an agreement with Jenny Shaw, chair of the Unite Foundation, at a ceremony in James Watson Hall, a Unite hall of residence and where the scholars will live.

Professor Galbraith said: “At the University of Portsmouth we are committed to providing access to education for students of all backgrounds.

“It is particularly important that we ensure people who may find higher education difficult to access feel secure and supported when they are studying here. This announcement adds strength to the existing bursaries that we can provide and will make a huge difference to the recipients’ lives.”

Ms Shaw said: “Young people who have been in care are much less likely to be able to access a university education, and the clear rewards which that brings. It is simply unfair.

“We are proud to work in partnership with the University of Portsmouth, who share our dedication to widening access to higher education to every young person who can benefit from it.”

For more information about eligibility and to make an application please contact [email protected].

The University already offers a bursary to care leavers, including £1,600 Care Leavers’ Bursary per year, rising to £1,650 in 2015/16. It does not need to be repaid. It includes a personal support finance advisor, a guaranteed place in halls of residence for three years, to include Christmas and Easter Breaks and summer holidays.

For more information go to port.ac.uk/careleavers

_{Pictured: Jenny Shaw, Chair of the Unite Foundation, and University of Portsmouth Vice Chancellor Professor Graham Galbraith.}