UNITE Trust support for students
26/03/2012
Twenty-one students from King’s, the University of Bristol, the University of Edinburgh and Sheffield Hallam University will benefit from new ‘UNITE Bursaries’, which include free accommodation in a UNITE property for the duration of study and up to £4,000 per year towards living expenses.
UNITE, a leading UK developer and manager of student accommodation, has launched the UNITE Foundation, a charitable trust to support widening access to university for disadvantaged young people and the integration of students within communities. They are establishing a new bursary scheme for 21 students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well an £85,000 charitable donation to organisations aligned with the Foundation’s ethos.
UNITE Bursaries will give priority to care leavers, a group that is particularly under-represented in higher education, and it is UNITE’s ambition to extend the number of bursaries offered each year so that by 2016 they are supporting 140 students.
Targeted donations to organisations that support the UNITE Foundation’s objectives make up the other major strand of activity. Beneficiaries at launch are IntoUniversity and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). IntoUniversity helps young people from Britain's poorest backgrounds gain the skills which will help them into higher education, and SIFE is an international organisation that works with business and higher education leaders to mobilise students around the world to make a difference to their communities while developing the skills they need to become social responsible business leaders. IntoUniversity is one of the College’s strategic Widening Participation partners and SIFE is one of the largest and most active student groups at King’s.
Mark Allan, Chief Executive of UNITE Group, commented: ‘It is fitting that we launch the UNITE Foundation in the same year that UNITE celebrates its 21st birthday – a significant rite of passage that many of our students experience while living with us. The experience we have gained in this time gives me full confidence that the UNITE Foundation will enable us to make the best use our available resources to make real difference to the sector.’
For further information about King’s financial support packages visit the
College website.