Photo opportunity 2.45pm, Thursday 5 December, Baxter conference suite, 1st floor Tower Building, University of Dundee
Fifteen first year students at the University of Dundee will receive a substantial financial boost for their studies tomorrow as the Royal Bank of Scotland presents them with a cheque for £1000 each and a promise to give them the same for up to four years through their degree programmes.
The Royal Bank is taking on fifteen first year students from the University of Dundee each year to help support them through their degrees. This is the second year that the Bank has provided bursaries to help widen access to university, committing a total of £105,000 over four intake years. Each student will receive £1,000 every year for the duration of their studies.
Dr John Blicharski, Director of the Wider Access Study Centre at the University of Dundee welcomed the bursaries saying: "These bursaries are a very generous commitment for the Royal Bank to make and are a significant long term investment in widening participation and encouraging progression in higher education. The Royal Bank recognises that finance is a major issue for some students from non-traditional higher education backgrounds. The Bank is making another contribution tomorrow to reduce the financial deterrent to education."
Dr Ian Francis, Academic Secretary at the University of Dundee and Janice Palmer, Customer Services Manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland Dundee Chief Office will present the students with their bursaries and cheques tomorrow in the Baxter conference suite in the Tower Building at 2.30pm.
Janice Palmer said: "The Royal Bank of Scotland supports access to university because it believes that social background and money shouldn't be the deciding factors when it comes to getting a higher education. Many talented people are unfairly missing out on the experience of a lifetime and on an education which will help them get on in life. We hope that the Royal Bank bursaries will encourage the brightest students - from whatever background - to apply to university."
By Jenny Marra, Press Officer 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk