Artist News

Stormzy launches scholarship to support black students at Cambridge University

By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 17 August 2018

Stormzy has launched a new programme to support four black students studying at Cambridge University. Funded by the rapper himself – though he hopes to secure other backers down the line – the Stormzy Scholarship will cover the tuition fees and provide a maintenance grant for four people studying at the university, two this year, two next.

Announcing the scheme, Stormzy said: “There are so many young black kids all over the country who have the level of academic excellence to study at a university such as Cambridge, however we are still under represented at leading universities”.

He went on: “We, as a minority, have so many examples of black students who have excelled at every level of education throughout the years. I hope this scholarship serves as a small reminder that if young black students wish to study at one of the best universities in the world, then the opportunity is yours for the taking – and if funding is one of the barriers, then we can work towards breaking that barrier down”.

Confirming his support for the programme, Cambridge University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope, said: “Stormzy is an inspiration, not just for his music but for his engagement on social issues and encouragement of young people”

He added: “He has achieved great success in his career, but recognises that this was at the expense of his studies and the option of a place at a top university. He wants to inspire talented young black people who have their sights set on university to follow their dreams. The studentships are a beacon for black students who might otherwise have felt they could not come to Cambridge”.

For more details about the programme check cam.ac.uk/stormzyscholarship