Financial fund for students and young people in Northampton just got £30,000 bigger

A fund which has helped 30 students from the University of Northampton with the cost of studying has just been swelled by £30,000.

The Sir Thomas White’s Northampton Charity provides grants of up to £1,000 to young people living in the area aged 16 to 25 who are in need of financial assistance to help them with their education or vocational training.

The charity also offers interest-free loans of up to £2,500 for educational purposes or up to £5,000 for business purposes to those aged 21 to 35.

The University also administers applications from those between 25 and 34 who have lived in Northampton for at least five years. A total of £50,000 funding was made available in 2017 by the charity, which has now added a further £30,000 to the pot.

Around 30 students from the University have benefited from grants since 2017, including Education Studies undergraduate, Sean Millar. In 2018, he used this to fund a study trip to Atlanta, USA – Sean’s pictured above during the trip.

Sean also receives the Sir Thomas White Scholarship which provides £1,500 annually for the duration of his three-year degree, and helps with the cost of books and commuting to and from university.

The funding has helped to relieve some pressure on his new young family.

Sean said: “I had just become a father, so the grant meant that I was able to continue with my studies without the pressure of having to look for more work to help supplement my income.

“It also meant I was able to sign up for the trip to America, which I found invaluable, as it gave me an opportunity to look at how education differs in the USA and how outside influences can affect children’s learning.”

Chairman of the charity’s board of trustees, Tim Hadland, said: “The charity has been helping Northampton’s young people to realise their ambitions for approaching five hundred years. We are very pleased to have formed a close relationship with the University that enables this rewarding work to continue.”

Find out more about the Sir Thomas White’s Northampton Charity.

There is also details on the parts of the fund administered by the University on its website and the scholarship details are also on the site.