An education bursary scheme that helps social housing tenants is on course for a major milestone.
Wheatley Group’s bursary programme will support its 400th customer this year.
The scheme helps tenants living in less-advantaged communities with the cost of study at college or university.
Since launching in 2016, the programme has awarded over 380 bursaries to help students.
Available
This year’s programme has just opened for applications – with another 50 education bursaries available.
People eligible are those living in homes owned by one of Wheatley’s social landlords – Wheatley Homes Glasgow, Wheatley Homes South, Wheatley Homes East and Loretto Housing – and people who live in a home factored by or rented from Lowther.
The scheme is funded by the housing, care and property-management group’s charitable trust, Wheatley Foundation.
Wheatley Homes Glasgow tenant Michael Gowran, 26, lives in the Scotstoun area of Glasgow with his partner and three-year-old daughter.
Michael is in third year studying BA in Performance at the University of the West of Scotland. The course covers acting, theatre and performance.
We are delighted we’ll reach this milestone figure and be able to support over 400 tenants from our communities.
Professor Paddy Gray OBE
He said: “Having a bursary from Wheatley Foundation has been great – it helped cover all of my travel costs and books for the year.
“I returned to further education after a few years out, so the bursary also meant I haven’t had to work while attending university full-time and working on course work and assignments.”
Bursaries are worth up to £1500 a year for full-time students and £750 for part-time studies.
The bursaries help Wheatley customers with the expense of studying for an HNC, HND, Undergraduate Degree or Postgraduate course.
'Delighted'
Professor Paddy Gray OBE, Chair of Wheatley Foundation, said: “We are delighted we’ll reach this milestone figure and be able to support over 400 tenants from our communities.
“The cost-of-living crisis has made it more difficult than ever before for people to be able to afford to go to college or university.
“Our education bursary is a lifeline for so many customers to achieve their dreams and reach their full potential.”
