£1m Bristol scholarship fund to support black students

Student Afua Owusu-Ansah said she was really excited when she heard about the programme

A £1m scholarship fund has been launched to support black students at university.

The University of Bristol said the programme would address a "lack of representation" in higher education.

The Bristol Black Scholarship Programme will sponsor 130 black and mixed-black heritage students over four years.

Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, vice president of the National Union of Students, praised its "commitment" to supporting black students.

She said: "Financial concerns are one of the primary barriers to black people progressing into higher education."

The programme, funded by donations from alumni, includes bursaries for 12 postgraduates, 16 PGCE, eight Black Humanities masters scholarships and 80 undergraduate students.

Trevor Ntutu said the opportunity would help people in the same way a scholarship helped him gain his A-levels.

The university is also allocating £125,000 to four students within the research community so they can pursue postgraduate masters.

The scholarships will be allocated annually from 2020 until 2024.

UoB student Trevor Ntutu said: "Having received a scholarship for both my A-levels and university degree, I fully understand the positive impact this will have on the families of these students, as well as the many opportunities they would otherwise have never encountered."

The president of the university's Black Muslims Society, Fatima Abdulsalam, said: "There is an indication for the desire for change within the university of Bristol, which is encouraging for black students like me."

'Fantastic milestone'

UoB student Afua Owusu-Ansah, 20, said the opportunity goes towards dismantling the "tyrant of institutional racism" in the UK.

She said: "I think these scholarships will attract a lot of black talent to Bristol. It's a fantastic milestone."

The university will award 130 students with scholarships

University provost and deputy vice chancellor, Judith Squires, said: "We are determined to create a diverse and inclusive university community and recognise that positive support is needed to address the historical under-representation of black and black-heritage students."

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: "The university has made good progress in recent years, with an increase of 44 per cent in BAME student enrolment.

"It is committed to continue its increase in the proportion of black heritage students at Bristol and will ensure they have adequate support to succeed in their studies and beyond university."