Two in five undergraduates in England from lower-income households have had to cut back on textbooks because of financial pressures, while accumulating average debts of £44,000 and rising. In comparison, many of us got a university education for free, often with significant grant support along the way. We believe this contrast is glaring…
...but importantly we believe we can do something about it. The Reading List Foundation exists to inspire people - including older graduates - to help fund a younger student’s First Year textbooks, providing practical, financial and emotional help.
“I was able to purchase medical books that I would otherwise not have afforded, which has served me well in assignments and exam preparations. Equally as important, I entered university with a positivity I may not have had.”
We ask our donors to fund or co-fund £250 Scholarships for high-achieving students from lower-income households, to cover their Reading List in their first year of university. We encourage donors to make their contribution personal – for instance directing it to their old school or college.
We’re proud to have supported 124 (and counting) students starting uni in 2019, and below is an illustration of the vast range of subjects they’re studying.
We’re delighted to be supporting students now studying at universities across England – from Glasgow to Exeter, and most stops in between.
We’re pleased to be able to share our latest annual survey of Scholarship winners, which we hope helps describe the impact our Scholarships have on the students who win them. We can’t help but feel for the students who had to spend close to £100 on one textbook….