Are you ready to change a life?
The Imperial Bursary helps students reach their true potential, and your support could make all the difference.
Words: Lucy Jolin / Illustration: Marcos Montiel
When Dr Luke McCrone (BSc Geology 2015; MSc Petroleum Geoscience 2016) left his working-class community in the West Midlands to join Imperial more than ten years ago, he felt as though anything was possible. He wanted to make the most of every opportunity, but there was just one nagging problem. “I really worried about money,” says Luke. “How could I participate fully and live in one of the world’s most expensive cities when my finances were so tight? It was a real source of stress.”
But with the award of funding from the Imperial Bursary, Luke was able to put what he calls this “wasted worry and energy” into more beneficial things, like focusing on his degree and making lifelong connections. “Receiving financial support made the world of difference to me, as it does for every student who receives it,” he says. “It gave me a real sense of freedom, let me live in halls, and put me on a level playing field with others who seemed to have more money to spend.”
Luke is just one of many Imperial students who have been able to make the most of their studies through the Imperial Bursary. Automatically awarded to any students whose family’s household income is under £70,000, eligible students can receive an award each year, paid on a sliding scale, with the maximum amount being £5,000 per year.
Without the Bursary, talented and dedicated students like Luke, who now works at Imperial as a postdoctoral researcher, might drop out because they can’t afford to stay, or not come to Imperial at all. “Every Imperial student should have the opportunity to reach their potential, whatever hardship they face,” he says. “It takes courage to ask for help, so when a student reaches out – in a financial crisis or if they become unwell, for instance – they shouldn’t be turned away.”
The Bursary is needed now more than ever. Requests for hardship support have risen by 500 per cent compared to pre-pandemic years – a third of all home students now receive its support, with 40 per cent receiving the full £5,000 a year. But helping students like Luke is only possible through the incredible generosity of our alumni.
By making a gift of just £45, you can help a student to not just survive at Imperial – but thrive.
Donating is simple: just visit bit.ly/summermag24 and choose Student Assistance Fund, which funds the Bursary and student hardship payments.