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.
Below is an open letter to all our donors and supporters, who helped us weather 2020. We’re in an even stronger position heading into 2021, and are looking forward to helping support over 250 wonderful young people – and in the process awarding our 500th Scholarship! So thank you.
Below is the very impressive list of universities that our 2020 Scholarship winners are now studying at, including, for the first time, one in the US. In the style of Where’s Wally?, see if you can find it:
We’re delighted to illustrate below the spread of schools and colleges where we’ve supported a Scholarship this year – a record-busting 243 awards! Thank you to everyone who has made this possible.
