Fifty aspiring University students with ambitions to study science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) at a leading institution have been given a helping hand at Cardiff University.
The University has received confirmation that the number of Dangoor Scholarships, first announced in December 2009, has been increased, with match funding from 30 from 50. Providing even more opportunity for talented first-year undergraduates to access higher education regardless of background, it will also help Wales succeed in building capacity in vital science, engineering and technology fields.
Available to UK students who are studying for an undergraduate degree in STEM subjects, the Dangoor Scholarships will provide £1,000 assistance to students from lower income backgrounds, thanks to a generous donation from Dr Naim Dangoor, a successful property developer. The Scholarships will be awarded to selected eligible students beginning their undergraduate studies in 2010.
The Dangoor Scholarships have been launched with a £3 million donation over three years. Matched funding from government has brought the total funding available to £4 million. A national Scholarship programme, it will assist 4,000 students in the UK to study vital science and maths-based subjects at the UK’s Russell Group of leading research-intensive universities and the 1994 Group of universities. Cardiff is the only university in Wales to receive funding for the scholarships.
Professor Jonathan Osmond, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students said: “These latest Scholarships are offering the chance for students to fulfil their dreams of studying for a degree at one of the country’s leading academic institutions, which otherwise may have been out of their reach. We are committed to ensuring that everyone who has the ability the study at Cardiff is able to do so whatever their financial circumstances, and look forward to being to develop the next generation of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs.”
The Dangoor Scholarships are a significant addition to the University’s existing £3M student support package which offers both bursaries and scholarships to undergraduate students. Around a third of the University’s undergraduate students already benefit from Cardiff University Bursaries and, in 2010, new UK students from households with an income up to £50,020 will receive a payment of £1000 under this scheme.
In 2010, Cardiff will also be making around 100 new scholarships available. Worth £3,000, these are designed to ensure that the University continues to recruit the very best students in a range of science and humanities subject areas.
Details of scholarships and bursaries for students beginning their studies in 2011 will be published on the University website in September 2010.
