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Press Releases
January 2012
Reuben Scholarship Programme to help disadvantaged students access elite universities
The Reuben Foundation and ARK Schools is delighted to announce a new university scholarship programme. It will assist bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds, for whom financial support is most needed, both to continue their education and see that attending university is an option very much open to them.
The Reuben Scholarship Programme will sponsor two students per year (for an initial three year period) from ARK academies, to study at University College London or another leading university (to be announced shortly). The Foundation will look to grow this area of the Scholarship Programme, as it sees its partnership with ARK Schools as a highly effective route to encourage inner city children to realise from an early age that a university education is a realistic and achievable option for all, regardless of their circumstances.
The Programme will also be sponsoring scholars directly at UCL, as well as at another university. At UCL the Foundation will be funding 15 scholars for an initial three year period, with each student receiving £10,000 per year.
The universities will be responsible for identifying eligible students – those whose backgrounds and families’ income mean that receiving financial support is crucial.
ARK Schools’ ambition is to help close the achievement gap between rich and poor pupils. Its academies aim to ensure that every pupil leaves at 18 with the qualifications, skills and confidence to take up a place at a good university. ARK’s university success programme runs across its academy network allowing young people to visit universities and ensuring that they follow academic and extra-curricular courses that maximise their opportunities.
Announcing the programme, Lisa Reuben of the Reuben Foundation said:
“A scheme of this nature has been something that the Foundation has wanted to create for some time. Education is the most precious resource and, at a time, when the cost of attending university is rising, we hope this programme will inspire others and play a role in opening doors to those who thought university was closed to them.”
“The programme will run for three years initially, but our commitment to these scholarships is absolute and we will be looking to grow the scheme once it has become established.”
Lucy Heller, Managing Director of ARK Schools said:
ARK Schools’ mission is to try to ensure that young people who might not have dreamed of studying at university can take up the life changing opportunities it offers. We are thrilled that the Reuben Foundation is to work with ARK Schools to help some of our students realise their ambitions.”