Help Leeds students to FOCUS on what matters
Over the summer, we were overwhelmed and inspired by the kindness and generosity of the Leeds community who gave support to students through helping to fund our scholarship programme.
Now those students have arrived at Leeds, they need your support to help them focus on what matters.
The rising cost of living is making it harder for students to pay their rent and have money for everyday essentials such as food and bills. Many are having to work longer hours in part-time jobs, and miss out on essential parts of their university experience which could frame their whole outlook on their career. Instead, they are having to focus on the basic necessities they need to live.
This is a challenge for all students, but especially those from less-advantaged backgrounds, who come from low-income households or may have been raised by a single-parent. They may also have been in care, or have caring responsibilities.
As a Plus Programme Officer here at the University, my job is to help students to access all the opportunities available to them at Leeds so they can focus on what’s important and strive for a brighter future.
Through the Plus Programme, and other initiatives, students from less-advantaged backgrounds can attend exclusive events and workshops all year round, to help them build their academic skills and confidence. But we can only do this with your help.
Your donation today could help to fund a scholarship so students can come to Leeds with fewer financial worries and focus on what matters. Your gift can help them find a home at Leeds and develop the skills and connections which will put them in good stead for a bright future.
Please will you give today so students can focus on what matters during their time at Leeds?
The experience they have at university can determine the course of their future.
Thank you,
Liv Powell
Plus Programme Officer
“Receiving my scholarship was a weight off my shoulders and eased so many financial burdens. I could finally get excited about going to university.”
Josh
For Josh, finances were a concern before he even considered university.
Growing up in a single-parent family, he and his mother relied on government support to make ends meet. Although she tried her best, dealing with a mental illness meant Josh's mother often needed social workers and family members to help care for him. As a result, university seemed out of reach for Josh.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Josh has been able to follow his dream of studying at Leeds, without worrying as much about money, setting him on the right path to fulfil his potential.
The support I've received at Leeds has helped me to settle in and get over the nerves of moving to a new city. I am finally able to live comfortably and independently, now that I don't have to worry about finances and everyday stresses."
Schemes such as the Plus Programme, provided Josh with places to turn to and people he could meet to help him feel more focused and settled. Coming to Leeds has given him the confidence he needs to pursue a career in politics and focus on his goal of helping others.
“The support offered to me has helped me to make friends through five-a-side football and secure the placement of a lifetime, working for an MP down in London.”
By giving today you will support students who;
- Are from low-income households, whose families aren't able to cover the rising cost of living and studying away from home;
- Are the first in their family to go to university or come from a school or area where not many people go into higher education. They might find it harder to feel like they belong or believe they can succeed at university;
- Have been in care or estranged from their families and may lack the support networks required, both financial and personal, to take on the challenges of university life;
- Have caring responsibilities, which might make focusing on their studies difficult and the need for financial security all the more important;
- Have refugee or humanitarian status. Having to already overcome incredible barriers already to come to Leeds, these students will have to juggle settling into university life and their studies whilst also adapting to a new country, language and culture.
These students struggle to put, or may not have anyone who puts, their future first. Your support is transformative and enables them to thrive at Leeds and beyond.
Your gift can offer students focused support...
- £100: Six hours of 1-2-1 wellbeing support
Your support enables us to run a 12-week Lifestyle and Wellbeing Programme, equipping students who access it with the motivation, skills and confidence to continue making positive choices, contributing to their overall health and wellbeing. This programme provides counselling and advice on health and disabilities for any students who may be struggling during their time at Leeds, helping them to cope with any challenging personal circumstances. - £200: A year of memory making
Students from less advantaged backgrounds can often miss out of university-making experiences to take part in clubs and societies due to a lack of funds.
The Plus Programme offers its students grants of up to £200 to cover the costs of getting involved – whether that’s paying for kit, necessary travel or competitions. - £500: An employment opportunity of a lifetime
For some students in our community, the next step beyond Leeds is a daunting prospect. For these students, the extra cost of professional developmental opportunities can seem unjustifiable. In times of hardship, they may not have support from loved ones to fall back on, and so often save the money they do have for a rainy day. The Opportunities Fund allows students to apply for one off grants of up to £500 to attend conferences, workshops, internships and interviews – building the confidence and skills they need to make the next step. - £1,000: A term of financial support
An undergraduate scholarship awards a student £3,000 a year, or £1,000 a term, to provide them with the financial support they need to experience Leeds to its fullest. This support not only provides them life-changing funds to cover every-day essentials such as food and rent, but an incredible sense of confidence and wellbeing. Knowing that someone, like you, believed in them and their ability.
Please give today
Every scholarship you help to give is a life-changing chance for one more student.
Why give a regular gift by direct debit?
By choosing to give regularly by direct debit, you will help us to;
- Look to the future and ensure that more students like Josh can be provided with a scholarship.
- Be bold in our approaches to the increasing demand for support and flexible to meet students’ changing needs. Whether that’s to support their wellbeing, academic achievement or even career aspirations.
You’ll join a community of almost 2,000 alumni and supporters who are behind students like Josh every step of the way. From taking up their place at Leeds, all the way through to the day they don their graduation gown and take steps into their careers.
Share your advice to help students focus on their future during their time at Leeds
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