The York Opportunity Scholarship provides £3,300 over 3 years of undergraduate study to students from less advantaged backgrounds to help alleviate some of the financial pressures they face while at university.

This scholarship is awarded based on need, and eligible students include those who have lived in local authority care, have a disability, are from a low-income household and from minority ethnic backgrounds. This is an incredibly competitive scholarship, with significantly more applications than scholarships available every year.

This additional support helps students from less advantaged backgrounds in various ways. For some, receiving a York Opportunity Scholarship allows them the financial freedom to take on less paid work and more work experience, volunteering and extracurricular activities, all of which helps to level the playing field. This was the case for Mia, who received the scholarship while studying at York. She said about the scholarship: “It's given me the freedom to be able to choose and explore what I wanted to get out of life and what I wanted my career to be. It’s given me the opportunity to then make that a reality.”

For others, a York Opportunity Scholarship has allowed them to pay for basic necessities for themselves and their families. From food to travel to increased heating bills, this additional funding is particularly important for disabled students like Sophie who is currently receiving the scholarship: “Obviously the cost of living crisis hasn't been easy, I would say especially in the winter it's been quite tricky for my joints as I need the heat. So I needed the heating on to not be in pain.”

Hundreds of less advantaged students face substantial barriers to their education, and recent challenges have only made it more difficult for people to overcome these differences. For these incredibly hardworking people, the York Opportunity Scholarship provides much needed support they are unable to receive from anywhere else.

“The York Opportunity Scholarship has relieved so much stress for me, it has really helped my mental health. Deep down I don’t know if I could physically and mentally carry on with my degree due to the financial stress I was under, and giving up would have broken my heart. But fortunately I received the support to carry on, and after this degree I’ll be able to provide a better life for myself and my daughter.”

Kira, Adult Nursing Student and York Opportunity Scholarship Recipient.

Kira decided to pursue a nursing degree after spending time in hospital when her daughter was born prematurely, wanting to give back to the NHS and provide comfort to patients. The scholarship has allowed Kira to continue her studies without having to worry about missing any university or placement days due to the cost of travel, meaning she can spend time with her daughter at home rather than taking on evening and weekend work to fund her education.

Every York Opportunity Scholarship recipient has overcome their own obstacles to get to university, and will experience their own struggles while studying. With your help this Giving Day, we can help more students like Kira to access a life changing education and achieve their potential at York.

Any donation you can make this Giving Day will help less advantaged students to thrive. Thank you.