Eight social housing residents awarded £18,000 university scholarships

Eight social housing residents have been selected as the first recipients of the Social Housing Scholarships Programme, a landmark initiative designed to remove financial barriers to higher education and help talented young people achieve their career ambitions.  

The programme received 316 applications in its first year, with more than 20 candidates progressing to interview before eight scholars were selected through a competitive assessment process.  

The successful applicants will begin studying at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Loughborough University, the London School of Economics, Bristol and Kingston. Their chosen courses span subjects such as Real Estate Management, Civil Engineering, Land Economy, Politics, Economics and Management.  

Each scholar will receive £18,000 over three years to help cover living costs and study materials. Alongside financial support, participants will benefit from mentoring, professional development opportunities, networking, volunteering, work experience and a paid internship.  

The programme is coordinated by Clarion Futures and delivered in partnership with housing associations including Places for People, Hyde, L&Q, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, Peabody and Riverside, with match funding from the Fusion21 Foundation.  

Jamie Dickinson, Group Head of Social Impact at Places for People, said: 

"Education can be a powerful driver of social mobility, but too many talented young people face financial barriers to pursuing higher education. The quality of applications we received for this programme demonstrates the ambition, determination and potential that exists within social housing communities across the country. 

These scholarships are about much more than financial support; they're about opening doors to new experiences and helping students focus on achieving their ambitions. Alongside funding, scholars will benefit from mentoring, professional development and valuable industry experience. Together, those opportunities can make a lasting difference to future career prospects and life chances. 

We look forward to supporting these scholars throughout their university journey and seeing the positive impact they go on to make in their professions, communities and beyond." 

Each scholar is matched with a participating housing association based on their location, degree and career interests. Once settled into university life, they will begin receiving mentoring and wider development support through the programme.  

A further seven scholarships will be awarded in 2027, taking the total number of scholars supported through the programme to 15. 

Read more about the Social Housing Scholarships Programme.