Call for applications: Stormzy Scholarship for black students in the UK

The scholarship was established in 2018 by British-Ghanaian rapper Stormzy and his #Merky Foundation. Since its inception, the foundation has provided financial support to two black students in the UK.

This year, the Merky Foundation, in partnership with HSBC UK, has expanded the scheme to provide scholarships to 10 black students admitted to the University of Cambridge this year. This commitment will last for at least the next three years, allowing 30 more students to benefit from this support. A total of 13 scholarships will be available in 2021 – 10 funded by HSBC UK, two by Stormzy and one by an anonymous donor.

Last year, 137 new black students began studying various courses at Cambridge – the biggest number ever – but the university says “there is still more work to be done to ensure that UK black students apply to study at the university and feel at home here and achieve their full potential.”

The non-repayable scholarships will cover the full cost of tuition fees and provide a maintenance grant, which is expected to significantly reduce the need for awardees to take out government or commercial loans. The support will be available to recipients for up to four years of undergraduate study. For 2021–22, the total award to each student for the year will be worth £20 000 (about $28 000). Receipt of this award will not affect eligibility for a Cambridge bursary.

“I hope this scholarship continues to serve as a small reminder to young black students that the opportunity to study at one of the best universities in the world is theirs for the taking,” Stormzy said.

Eligibility 

To be eligible for a Stormzy Scholarship, applicants must:

• Have one of the following categories of ethnicity:
  • Black African
  • Black Caribbean
  • Black other
  • Mixed – White and black Caribbean
  • Mixed – White and black African
  • Other mixed backgrounds (to include black African, black Caribbean or black other) 
• Have a confirmed place for entry to the University of Cambridge for a first undergraduate degree, and due to commence study in October 2021 (applicants can check the status of their offer on UCAS Track here).
• Have been assessed for fee status as a ‘home’ student. 
• Have applied to Student Finance (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan, and have received confirmation that they have been assessed and will receive full financial support. An income assessment must have been conducted and consent given to share the information with the university.

Application process

The application process for the scholarship is as follows:

• First of all, interested individuals must check their eligibility to apply. The panel will not consider any applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria. Awards may be withdrawn if applicants are later found not to have met the eligibility criteria or have provided false information.
• Applicants can make an application using the online application form, which will be open between 10 August and 27 August 2021. They will need to provide the following pieces of information:
  • Full name, as provided on the applicant's UCAS form, and date of birth.
  • UCAS Personal ID (the 10-digit number applicants get when they register to UCAS Apply. They can find this on UCAS correspondence addressed to them).
  • Ethnicity.
  • Confirmation that they have applied, been assessed for and expect to receive the maximum level of support from the government through Student Finance (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) for tuition fees and maintenance loans and that they have provided consent to share their information with the university.
  • A personal statement of up to 2 500 characters, outlining how they would benefit from the award.
  • Confirmation that the applicant permits the university to use all of the above information.
• Applications must be submitted by no later than Friday 27 August 2021. Late applications will not be considered.
• Applications will be ranked using:
  • Household income data provided by applicants to Student Finance.
  • Indicators of higher education participation and socio-economic disadvantage based on the school an applicant attended and the postcode in which they live, which will be drawn from their UCAS application.
  • Applicant's personal statement.
• The selection panel will then take a final decision on which 10 students will receive the award. Applicants will receive notification of the outcome by mid-September 2021.

View the original call here.