• Gifted and talented youngsters from less advantaged backgrounds given more opportunities to study at the University of Warwick, thanks to funding of £30K from the National Express Foundation
• Bursary will cover eight students per year to study at Warwick
• Students from ethnic minority backgrounds, those who grew up in care, and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• National Express Foundation scholars will each receive £2,000 for their three years of studying – with £1,250 from the Foundation and an additional £750 from Warwick.

Gifted and talented youngsters from less advantaged backgrounds have more opportunities to study at the University of Warwick, thanks to funding of £30,000 from the National Express Foundation.

The bursary will support eight scholars per year - and students from black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds, those who grew up in care, and students with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.

Priority is given to students most in need of a bursary, such as those from lower income households.

The National Express Foundation scholars will each receive £2,000 for their three years of studying – with £1,250 from the Foundation and an additional £750 from Warwick.

Professor Christopher Hughes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Warwick, said:

“The University of Warwick is delighted to be working with the National Express Foundation.

“The awards will provide scholarship bursaries for gifted and talented undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds who might otherwise be deterred from going to University and not realising their full potential.”

The University will provide wide-ranging support for the scholars, from financial help with living costs and access to essential educational resources, to ongoing pastoral care and careers advice.

With the funding from the National Express Foundation, Warwick can continue to give all students who have academic potential the opportunity to realise their aspirations, regardless of their background.

The students supported through the Foundation bursary funding will be from the University’s existing Multicultural Scholarship Programme (MSP), the Warwick Scholars’ Programme (WSP) and the Women in Engineering Scholars’ Programme (WIE).

Students in the MSP come from BME backgrounds and underrepresented ethnic groups in higher education and industry - namely law, business and engineering.

Students in the WSP come through various outreach pathways from neighbourhoods that have consisted of low levels of university applications. The students are also usually the first in their family to apply to university.

The WIE programme seeks to address the gender imbalance in the engineering industry.

9 May 2017

Further information, contact:

Luke Walton, International Press Officer

+44 (0) 7824 540 863

+44 (0) 2476 150 868

L dot Walton dot 1 at warwick dot ac dot uk