The Hollick Family Foundation has awarded the University of Westminster with Care Leaver Completion Bursaries. The bursaries will be awarded to 15 final-year care leavers, each of whom will receive a total of £30,000 over three years to alleviate financial pressures and support their transition into employment.
The bursaries are awarded to final-year undergraduate students who were previously in the care system before entering Higher Education. Students from care backgrounds often face greater financial and emotional pressures without the family support networks that other students have. The bursaries are used to cover maintenance costs such as accommodation, living expenses, gown hire and graduation costs, as well as paying deposits for future accommodation when they leave university. The bursaries are intended to ease the financial burden on students so they can reduce paid working hours and focus more on their studies.
Jessica Davison, a Psychology BSc Honours student and previous bursary recipient, said: “I fought tooth and nail to get to university whilst supporting myself during A-Levels. The bursary gave me the luxury of time to study, so I didn’t have to work every day to make ends meet. I was struggling to cope and plan for the future - I felt particularly alone and stressed about stretching money to pay my bills and rent. The bursary proved a financial lifeline for me as my evening job, assembling flat-pack furniture in offices, ceased. It meant I was able to concentrate fully on my studies at such a detrimental time in my degree. I fear I would not have completed my degree at all due to lack of funding without the generosity of the bursary. I was able to graduate with a first class Psychology degree! I gained two Master’s places at London universities and I am now training to be a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner.”
The University has previously been awarded the Buttle UK Quality Mark for Care Leavers, showing its record in pastoral care and its support of care leavers. Along with the bursaries, Westminster offers a range of tailored support for each student, with the University’s Student Funding and Advice Teams always on hand to advise on issues from funding entitlement to liaising with local authorities regarding statutory support.
Jules Attanayake, Development Officer of Trusts and Foundations at the University, said: “We have a long history of widening access to support for our most disadvantaged student cohorts, and this funding from the Hollick Family Foundation will truly go a long way in helping our care leaver students as they live through this post-pandemic environment and cost of living crisis. We are truly thankful to the trustees of the Hollick Family Foundation.”
These bursaries directly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, 4: Quality Education and 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Learn more about the bursaries and awards for current students at the University of Westminster.
To find out more about how to support students at the University of Westminster, contact the University’s Development Team or visit the website.
Donate towards Inclusive Scholarships.
Related articles
