A group of alumni from the Law School’s Class of 1978 have come together to jointly fund a three year scholarship to enable a high-achieving student from an underprivileged or underrepresented background to study Law at Exeter.
Members of the class together pledged three years of support to fund a scholar’s living and study costs, enabling them to complete their studies without undue financial worries.
The student who received the Class of 1978 scholarship said: “The generosity of the donors in the Class of ‘78 has really made me feel secure and comfortable, and has been very helpful in allowing me to thrive at University. For that I would like to express my warmest thanks and gratitude”
Social mobility in the UK is in decline and the pandemic has only served to widen these inequalities. This decline is a particular problem for professions such as Law which have historically struggled to ensure equal access.
One of the donors to the scholarship, Penny Crouch (née Curtis) said, “We got together for a reunion in 2018 to mark 40 years since our graduation and that reunion gave rise to the idea of us coming together as a class to help someone else enjoy all the benefits of studying law at Exeter, particularly if they would have found it difficult to do so without support. We were delighted to be able to fund a scholarship for this purpose.”
The University of Exeter commits over £14m annually towards our Widening Participation strategy. This includes a range of programmes to support individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and bespoke activity within targeted schools. Our ‘Exeter Scholars’ programme sees us work with around 1000 schoolchildren from underrepresented and underprivileged backgrounds, while we also run bespoke programmes targeted at increasing awareness and engagement in specific industries where social mobility is most lacking.
To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the founding of Exeter Law School in 2023, the University of Exeter is aiming to create 100 new scholarships of this kind. A donation of £12,000 will fund the equivalent of an entire three year undergraduate law scholarship. Gifts can be given over the three years and could cost as little as £183.30 per month if you are a higher rate tax payer.
Alumni who wish to donate to the Law 100 scholarships fund, either themselves or through their Law Firm, should contact Josh Papanicola, Senior Development Manager by emailing J.Papanicola@exeter.ac.uk or by telephone on +44 (0)1392 726683.