British rapper Stormzy today announced he will fund two black British students to study at the University of Cambridge, with a new scholarship.
The ‘Stormzy Scholarship’ will cover the students’ full tuition fees, as well as providing a maintenance grant for up to four years of an undergraduate degree. There will be two awards in 2018, and two more in 2019, worth a total of £18,000 each. This will significantly reduce the need for the winners to take out government or commercial loans in order to fund their studies.
It’s not the first time Stormzy’s supported students, having previously donated £9,000 to a student’s crowdfunding campaign so she could study at Harvard University in the US.
‘Shocking’ lack of diversity at Cambridge
The news follows recent criticism for what’s been called a ‘shocking’ lack of representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students at Cambridge, with some colleges not admitting any black students at all between 2012 and 2016. Statistics from Cambridge, which were highlighted by the university’s African Caribbean Society (ACS), showed that only 15 black male undergraduates were accepted in 2015.
There are small signs of progress, as 58 black students commenced courses in 2017, which the university’s Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Toope called “the largest number ever”, “but not nearly as many as we would like.”
Stormzy said: "There are so many young black kids all over the country who have the level of academic excellence to study at a university such as Cambridge - however we are still under represented at leading universities.
“It's so important for black students, especially, to be aware that it can 100 percent be an option to attend a university of this caliber."
He added that he hoped the scholarship serves as a reminder that the opportunity for black students to study at one of the best universities in the world “is (theirs) for the taking - and if funding is one of the barriers, then we can work towards breaking that barrier down.”
Stormzy is sending black students to @Cambridge_Uni pic.twitter.com/X0c227AszQ
— BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) August 16, 2018
How to apply
To apply for a Stormzy Scholarship, you should:
- Have black ethnicity
- Have a confirmed place to study an undergraduate degree at the University of Cambridge, commencing in October 2018
- Be classed as a Home student in terms of fee status
- Have applied and been accepted for the usual student loan and maintenance grant from Student Finance England
If you’re applying, you’ll need to be quick, as the closing date for applications for the 2018 round is August 30. Those who want to study at Cambridge in 2019 need to apply by the regular October 15 deadline. The winner will be decided by a selection panel of university staff who will consider your household income, socio-economic background and personal statement. Full application details can be found here.
