The Julia Rausing Trust has generously awarded the University of Westminster with funding for Care Leaver Completion Bursaries worth £90,000 over three years. This will be awarded to 45 final-year care leaver undergraduate students, who will each receive £2000 to alleviate financial pressures and support their transition into employment.
Care Leaver Completion Bursaries are awarded to final-year undergraduate students who were previously in the care system before entering higher education. 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 also intended to ease the financial burden on students so that they can reduce paid working hours and focus more on their important final-year studies.
Students from care backgrounds often face greater financial and emotional pressures without the support networks that other students have. These students often work longer hours to support their living expenses, giving them less time to study and perform well, which can adversely affect their mental health and wellbeing. The transformational grant from The Julia Rausing Trust will ensure that this vulnerable student cohort will feel more supported throughout the most pressurised time of their studies and young adult lives.
As the first polytechnic in London, established 180 years ago to educate the city’s working people, the University of Westminster has a long-held commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Westminster was proud to be awarded the Buttle UK Quality Mark for its commitment to care leavers and was ranked 2nd for social mobility by the Institute for Fiscal Studies against universities in England in 2021.
About the bursaries Anne Dodwell, Director for Arts and Heritage at The Julia Rausing Trust, said: “We know from our work that care-experienced young people face additional challenges through no fault of their own. We hope that the bursaries will alleviate external pressures at a crucial time in these student’s studies, to create a more equitable landscape of opportunity.”
Jules Attanayake from the University’s Development Team added: “I would like to sincerely thank The Julia Rausing Trust for this very generous donation. This support will prove invaluable to our care leavers, who do not have the familial support networks, financial support and other advantages that mainstream students benefit from.”
This scholarship directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, 10: Reduced Inequalities and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. 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 Donation website.
Donate towards Inclusive Scholarships.
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