A CITY university is to hand out a record amount of scholarships worth £700,000 after being surprised by the exceptional calibre of applicants.
The Daily Post can reveal Liverpool John Moores University will this week confirm more than 170 talented students will each receive a recession-busting £1,000 in scholarships for each year of their study.
The payouts will be made after the students made impassioned applications and met tough criteria requiring them to demonstrate a range of skills including academic excellence, voluntary and community work and sporting ability.
Due to the high quality of applications a record six students will each receive £10,000 every year of their degree course via the coveted Vice-Chancellor’s Award.
It is given to exceptional students who are academically gifted and can also demonstrate outstanding commitment in another area such as voluntary work or sport.
It means the institution is awarding more than £700,000 worth of scholarships for students who started their studies year – a record for the university.
For the successful applicants it will be a double financial celebration – having beaten tuition fee rises which will be the maximum £9,000 a year at LJMU from 2012.
The university stressed more than half the total number of scholarship winners are from the North West which it said would give “the region an added boost in a period of slow economic growth”.
Last night Steve Kenny, Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience, said: “It is a record-breaking year for the university in terms of scholarships because the standard of applications has been so high. Traditionally LJMU is one of the most generous higher education institutions in the UK.
“In addition to the scholarships LJMU awards non-repayable bursaries which exceed the 2011/2012 minimum requirement of £300 set by the Office for Fair Access – the university is awarding £500 to eligible students.”
This academic year the university also increased its Access to Learning Fund by £150,000 for students who demonstrate a need for additional financial support.