In detail

Access to university should not be limited by race or social class. At Lancaster, we remain committed to equality of opportunity for all students. This includes ensuring we have a diverse student body which is reflective of the world around us.

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation will offer one scholarship to support Black African and Caribbean heritage applicants from socio-economically under-represented backgrounds. Applicants must be ordinarily resident in the UK and commencing undergraduate study in the academic year 2024/25.

The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fee waiver for Undergraduate for 2024 entry as well as a maintenance stipend of £8,000 per year of study.

The maintenance stipend consists of any bursaries and/or scholarships from Lancaster University that you may be eligible for plus an additional award from the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation. The total amount available will equal £8,000 per year of study.

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation wants to fund 100 Black British students through UK universities in the next decade.

Who is eligible?

• Applicants from a Black African and Caribbean heritage.
• Applicants must also have a home fee status.
• Applicants must also have a household income of £25,000 or less.
• Applicants must be in receipt of either a conditional or an unconditional offer for a place at Lancaster University for October 2024 entry, which you have accepted (non‐UCAS applications) or accepted firmly (UCAS applications).
• The scholarship is only available to undergraduate students joining Part 1 of our degree programmes. This must be your first degree and you must not hold any other higher education qualifications.

How to apply

To help us to get to know you, we will ask you for a personal statement of between 600 and 900 words explaining:

• Why the scholarship would be beneficial to your studies
• How it would help you to achieve your academic goals
• How your education would be of future benefit to your community and/or society
• What achievements, academically and personally, are you most proud of? This could include overcoming a challenging personal circumstance. There is no right or wrong answer. We are keen to hear your personal story.

Alongside your personal statement we will ask for you for some additional information including:

• Your full name
• Your University applicant ID number or if not known your UCAS number
• Your full home address (including Postal Code)
• Your programme of study
• Name of the School or College you are currently attending
• Your ethnicity
• Your email address
• Confirmation that you have applied, been assessed for and expect to be in receipt of the maximum level of support from the government through your regional student funding body, Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) or Student Finance (England, Wales or Northern Ireland) for tuition fees and maintenance loans and that you have provided consent to share your information with the University.
• Confirmation this is your first undergraduate degree programme, and you have not started a degree programme previously
• Confirmation that you understand that representatives from The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation will view your application and any submitted documentation as part of the selection process.
• Agreement that your UCAS references (personal and supporting statements) may be used as part of the selection process.

We will also look at where you live and other measures of educational challenges, often referred to as socio-economic metrics.

Submitting your application

Please check your eligibility before completing the Cowrie foundation scholarship application form. Awards may be withdrawn if we later become aware that successful scholars have not met eligibility criteria or have provided false information.

Closing Date

Your application must reach us by the closing date of 30 April 2024, 5.00pm.

Decisions

A panel of representatives from Lancaster University will assess applications and compile a shortlist of the strongest applications. The shortlist will be sent to the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation who will make the final decisions.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by the first week of September 2024.

Please do not contact the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation as all awards and notifications will come from Lancaster University.

Enquiries

If you have questions about the award please contact Leanne Taher-Bates, Head of Social Mobility and Student Success outreach@lancaster.ac.uk. In the subject line of the email please write "Cowrie Scholarship Enquiry".

Payment of the scholarship

• The maintenance stipend will be divided into equal amounts and awarded at three points in the year.
• The Scholarship is not available as a cash alternative.
• The award is each year of study.
• Scholarships are reviewed on an annual basis and we cannot guarantee funding for the following entry year for applicants who decide to defer.

Additional information

For undergraduate applicants:

• All offer conditions must be met or exceeded.
• UCAS tariff point equivalencies are not part of our consideration.
• All other entry requirements must be met.
• Applicants must apply for and have an offer to study on a full-time taught undergraduate degree programme at our Lancaster campus for the 2024/25 academic year.