University of London: New scholarship programme funded by Sir John Cass’s Foundation will be available for 18 resident Londoners

LONDON, 13-Jul-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — A new scholarship programme funded by Sir John Cass’s Foundation has been created to support young people living in London to study for a University of London degree, through distance and flexible learning.

These scholarships will be available for 18 resident Londoners, who must be under 25 years-old and otherwise financially unable to take a degree.

The 18 scholarships, which will be delivered over three years, starting in September 2016, will cover all tuition and examination fees for the University of London degree through the International Programmes. These degrees have been delivered for over 150 years across the world, and allow students to combine learning with their work and family commitments.

Scholarship recipients will also receive pastoral care throughout their studies, and benefit from a tailored programme of careers support and mentoring. This will be delivered by The Careers Group, University of London, and it will help students to take full advantage of their education experience.

Dr Mary Stiasny OBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) and Chief Executive of the University of London International Programmes said: ‘This new scholarship programme will further break down barriers to education for students who would not normally have the chance to go to university. I know how hard young people work and how financially difficult it is for some of them to take degree programmes, which is why I am pleased that through this collaboration with Sir John Cass’s Foundation, we are able to help.’

In addition to the scholarship programme for the 18 students, Sir John Cass’s Foundation will also support a further 300 students in London over three years by covering the cost of the online application fee – this support will be matched by the University of London International Programmes through a credit note. This brings the total support pledged by Sir John Cass’s Foundation to more than £150,000.

Deputy Kevin Everett, Treasurer and Chairman of the Board of Sir John Cass’s Foundation said: ‘The Foundation has always been at the forefront of educational change and a key strategic direction is to continue to break down the barriers to higher education for students from less privileged backgrounds by supporting alternative methods of access. For many young people, studying full-time directly after leaving secondary school is just not an option, for a number of reasons.  With increased technology and flexible work schedules, distance study is increasing in popularity and providing a viable option for higher education and life-long learning’.

Notes to Editors

Contacts – Binda Rai – Head of Corporate Affairs:
University of London International Programmes
Email: binda.rai@london.ac.uk
Tel: 07920 476483

About the University of London

• The University of London was established in 1836 by Royal Charter. Its 27 autonomous independent member institutions, including the LSE, UCL and Kings College, are recognised globally as world leaders in higher education.
• The University of London International Programmes is the world’s oldest provider of academic awards through distance and flexible learning, dating back to 1858, when the University of London was awarded its Fourth Royal Charter by Queen Victoria. http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/
• In 1858 Charles Dickens described the University of London as ‘The People’s University’ when its Fourth Royal Charter extended access to degrees to those who could not come to London to study.
• Today, students of the University of London International Programmes study from a suite of 100+ academic programmes, with some taking the award through self-study or through support from local teaching institutions, or through additional support.
• The International Programmes is the world’s largest classroom, with 50,000 students worldwide, and over a million learners on the Coursera online platform for short courses, bringing the International Programmes’ global reach to 1,050,000 people around the world, covering more than 180 countries.
• Over the past five years the University of London International Programmes has received more than 1,500 applications from students based in London under the age of 25.
• Tuition fees for a full undergraduate degree delivered by the University of London International Programmes are significantly lower than most UK universities, and cost approximately £5,000 in total for the degree.
• The full scholarship is £7,000 per recipient, including guidance and careers support throughout the course.
• The application fee for the University of London International Programmes is currently £84.00.
• Further  information about the University of London is available at http://www.london.ac.uk

About Sir John Cass’s Foundation

Sir John Cass’s Foundation was established in 1748 and takes its name from Sir John Cass, a City of London politician and philanthropist, who bequeathed the majority of his properties and fortune to the endeavour. Its vision is to be regarded as an influential organisation, contributing to educational policy, practice and research in order to shape and meet the evolving needs of London’s young people.

The Foundation supports a wide range of educational establishments, including a number bearing the name of the founder, special educational projects, grants and bursaries. It has been successfully doing this for over 250 years and today the Foundation is one of the largest and oldest educational charities in London. www.sirjohncassfoundation.com