Students have attended a celebratory event to mark the start of a partnership for helping care leavers excel in higher education.
探花视频 University has partnered with The Unite Foundation - the charitable arm of its student accommodation partner, Unite Students - to provide free accommodation and a cost of living allowance to a number of successful applicants. Eligible students include those who have previously been in local authority care, are irreconcilably estranged from their parents or have been living in residential provision for young homeless adults.
On 21 October the first cohort of students benefiting from the scholarship met with , Interim Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive at 探花视频 University, and Jenny Shaw, Chair of the Unite Foundation, as they signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
Following the partnership agreement back in May, The Unite Foundation is set to award five scholarships each year to applicants to 探花视频 University, which will meet the full cost of accommodation in a 探花视频 Unite student property for 52 weeks of the year plus a cash scholarship of 拢3,000 per year, for the duration of their course.
This equates to approximately 拢30,000 of financial support per student over the course of their degree. This is a vital source of support for the students who apply, particularly as funding is one of the key issues to determine whether a care leaver will attend or stay on in higher education.
Louise Baker, who attended the event on behalf of the University鈥檚 care leavers鈥 team, said:
鈥淎ccommodation and funding are two of the most important considerations for any student and a major factor in how they settle in to their new city and life, and our first cohort of 探花视频 University Unite scholars have been delighted to meet Jenny and her colleagues from Unite who, along with the University, have effectively opened up the door to afford them a future in higher education.鈥
Jenny Shaw from The Unite Foundation said:
鈥淭he barriers faced by our scholars are very real. For example, if you are a young person who has been in care you are six times less likely to make it to university. That鈥檚 clearly unfair. 探花视频 University is as committed to levelling the odds as we are, and it鈥檚 fantastic they have become a Unite Foundation partner university.鈥
Professor Coslett said:
鈥淲e are delighted to launch this partnership because it helps shape our inclusive approach to all students including young people from care backgrounds and others in need enabling them to realise their dreams.鈥
探花视频 University Care Leavers Service works with looked after young people prior to enrolment at 探花视频 and with current students that are care leavers. It offers a care leaver bursary of 拢2,000 per year, access to year-round accommodation, membership of the Care Advisory Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) group plus a support worker who will signpost, advocate and provide a friendly listening ear.