You greet the new arrivals; nervous smiles all around.

Every year they seem younger, but the look in their eyes stays the same.

It takes you back to your own first days on campus. The anxiety, the homesickness, new faces everywhere.

Some introductions, and then the first speaker begins: a lad in his third year, shy but friendly and enthusiastic. You feel the tension in the room begin to fade.

He talks about his nerves, learning to fit in, how the Scholarship has helped. The new students smile and nod.

You hope they’ll settle in.

With help from the people in this room, you feel confident that they will.

Help us do more for scholarship recipients

Scholarships give everyone a chance of coming here, but we sometimes forget how much of a change it is arriving on a university campus. Our programme has a welcome dinner and runs events, trips, and touchpoints to try and offer more support and friendship.

We think it’s partly why we see really high retention rates, and we’re just so glad to help people who belong here to make it through those earliest lonely days.

Luke Taylor, Fundraiser for Scholarships

I become quite overwhelmed at times knowing that someone out there, who does not know me, has placed faith in me like this.

At first my confidence in my academic ability was low. Coming from a school ranked in the bottom 40% of the country, I seriously doubted whether I belonged in such a prestigious institution, and whether a student from a working class background could truly go on to be a real success. But after seeing the faith and opportunity that you have placed in me and others I realised there are opportunities out there for me; I just need to take and embrace them. So in a way, my mentality has completely changed over the course of this year and your support as a donor was undoubtedly a key factor in this development.

You have also lightened my financial burden, down to the simple things like getting involved in sports (football is a great passion of mine) and not having to stress about money or feel embarrassed. It’s completely changed the dynamic of my first year at Warwick. For this reason words will never truly be enough to thank you for your generosity but I can certainly tell you that your support has made a real difference; a difference that has inspired me and one that I will not take for granted. I can only offer my eternal gratitude to you for all the aid you have offered – thank you!

Harry Klein, Warwick Scholars' Programme, First year BA History