In April 2019, the immediate impact of Covid-19 saw an increase of 69% in requests to the hardship funds. This need continues to rise as the longer-term effects of the pandemic ripple out.
In response to this, one of our fundraising priorities is to increase support for such scholarships with the aim of doubling the number of students we support with scholarships within the next five years.
To support this priority, the Development and Alumni Relations team works with individuals, staff, friends and corporate partners and this year we disbursed £580,000 in life-changing scholarships to almost 250 of our students – helping students to realise their ambitions in a myriad of ways including for example supporting students to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, others with ambitions to start their own companies and providing travel opportunities which significantly enhance academic experience.
This year saw the successful launch of the Belfast Community Scholarships when we awarded 42 first year students from disadvantaged backgrounds a life-changing scholarship to help remove the financial barrier to education and support them during their studies.
We want to build on this success and offer more scholarships to protect our most vulnerable students, encourage those most at risk to take the step into university, and support our most talented and committed students to reach their full potential.
If you are interested in joining the growing number of graduates, friends and corporates supporting life-changing scholarships, please contact d.mcgrath@ulster.ac.uk or for companies, please contact t.carlisle@ulster.ac.uk.
Watch this video to find out more