Bursary opens door to a future in public finance

An undergraduate at the University of Northampton is aiming for a job in His Majesty’s Treasury after she won a £12,000 bursary from the UK’s leading accounting professional body.

When Tatiana Leascenco moved from Moldova to Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, UK, seven years ago, she hoped a British degree would open doors for her daughter Bianca.

Bianca is now well into her first year as a BSc Accounting and Finance student and hopes one day to influence UK economic policy.

Having arranged all her finances to study, she almost didn’t apply for the bursary from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) which is aimed at increasing access to careers in accountancy to those from less wealthy backgrounds.

Bianca said: “I was shocked when I heard I’d won the bursary, I hadn’t even told my mum I was applying, it was a bit like winning the lottery.

“But it’s much more than just a cherry on top. I’d sorted my student loan and I was enrolled in University, but I still work. I don’t have a lot of money, my mother doesn’t have a lot of money. So, if anything unexpected happened, like a problem with my car which I rely on to commute, it could be really stressful.

“This bursary just gives us both peace of mind and allows me to concentrate fully on my studies.”

A spokesperson for the ICAEW said: “Our bursaries are specifically for talented but financially disadvantaged school leavers who would like to study for an accountancy or finance related degree at university.

“We would like to assist students who specifically do not qualify for any other form of financial assistance or funding to give them opportunities to be able to pursue an education and hopefully a career in the accounting or finance field.

“To date, the ICAEW Foundation bursary programme has supported 87 undergraduate students of accountancy and finance in universities across the UK, and in Hong Kong and Cyprus, since the Foundation was set up.”

Bianca’s course tutor, Dr George Kapaya, Senior Lecturer in Accounting, said: “We had some strong applicants for the bursary, but Bianca has a clear vision of what she wants to accomplish and shows the dedication and diligence to achieve her goals.

“Accountancy is one of the oldest professions and is a vital component of business and wider society; it is important that the sector benefits from a broad range of perspectives and we are proud to be giving students like Bianca the chance to excel.”

To find out more about the support offered by the ICAEW, visit their Changing Futures bursary programme webpage.

To find out about support provide by UON, visit the our page on Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards.

For a future in finance, browse the Accounting and Finance courses available at the University.