SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ launches Scholarship to support local students

Posted 12 June

A new Scholarship fund - worth £3500 - for local students is to be launched at this weekend’s Open Day at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½. 

At his talks at this Saturday’s Open Day, Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Sloan will reveal that prospective students living in a range of TF postcodes will be eligible to apply for one of 10 Vice-Chancellor’s Pioneer Scholarships. 

Students who receive the scholarship are awarded a £500 start-up fund in Year 1 of their studies. They will also receive a tuition fee discount to a total of £3,000 which can be used in year 1 or spread across all years of study. 

Professor Sloan said: “We have said before that we are here for the region’s learners. 

“This announcement is just the latest proof of that – offering tangible support to students who want to come and study with us.  

“We hope that these scholarships will both encourage students to look at some of the fantastic new digitally-focused courses right on their doorsteps at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, Telford. 

“One of the drivers behind this new development was boosting high-end skills and industry-focused research in the region to support regeneration and economic growth. 

“The region has attracted 200 foreign-owned businesses from 25 countries in industries from automotive to digital and creative; and from business services and logistics to food production and agri-tech - so there’s a clear demand for these skills. 

“Couple that with our award-winning career prospects and enviable graduate employment record – we are second among universities in the UK for the proportion of graduates in full time employment, and second in the UK for those in either full-time employment or further study – and we really do have something to offer prospective students locally. 

“We’re also keen to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to join us.  

“There’s lots of work under way in our Widening Participation programmes already – from Future Leaders, which is currently running at the SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, Telford hub at the Quad in Station Quarter, to the Future Vet programme with the Harper & Keele Vet School which was recently commended at the NEON awards in Parliament. 

“However, we know there’s more we can do – and that’s why we are offering these 10 Scholarships.” 

The Vice-Chancellor’s Pioneer Scholarships, worth £3500 each, are to open students who live in the postcodes TF1, TF2, TF3, TF4, TF7 and TF9 and are set to begin their studies at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ in September 2025.  

They will be administered by the SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Development Trust, and students can enquire by emailing development-trust@harper-adams.ac.uk. 

During the Open Day, Professor Sloan will also be talking about the University’s We Are Here campaign, which is set to run across the summer. 

The campaign talks to both current Harper students and alumni about what drew them to study at the University and where their studies have taken them – from a final-year Engineer who is already working in his first industry role, to a Veterinary Physiotherapy student who is using her studies to run her own business. 

Professor Sloan added: “Our new campaign is – like the University – rooted in its region. Shropshire has been the cradle for both agricultural and industrial innovation – something we have helped feed since our founding almost 125 years ago. 

“This is about us saying to those who share this same spirit, locally and beyond: We Are Here.

"If you have a curious mind, and seek not just to learn, but to shape the future: We Are Here. 

“If you want more than an education, but the knowledge, experience, and ambition to change the world: We Are Here.” 

Find out more about the We Are Here campaign at: