Support Fund for Black Students

Our University community is wonderfully diverse and we’re proud to be home to students from over 150 countries. Some 25% of our students are Black, Asian and minority ethnic.

It’s no secret an awarding gap exists for Black students across English universities. The reasons are complex and reflect persistent structural and societal inequality.

We already have extensive support mechanisms and improvement plans in place through our Access and Participation Plan to eliminate this awarding gap at ��ϳԹ�– to ensure all students have the resources they need to thrive. But we want to do more. We want to be able to provide our Black students the same opportunities as everyone else.

Every single student with ambition and ability deserves the best chance to succeed. Recognising that systemic racism has impacted Black families and lives over generations, the Scholarship and Support Fund for Black Students was established to assist those Black students who face financial challenges.

Your donation will help students to overcome obstacles that are preventing them from having their best learning experience and reaching their attainment goals, both at university and beyond.

Promoting equal opportunity

This scholarship is for students from low-income families, to address financial obstacles and provide access to learning enrichment opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.

The initiative includes:

scholarships in each taught year of a student’s course to support living expenses and course costs
a grant for placement year expenses that can be used for travel, clothing, vaccinations, accommodation and/or visa costs
an alumni mentor for the duration of the student’s course
access to other University support funds, including global opportunities through the ��ϳԹ�Futures Fund
member access to sports facilities and encouragement to become BAME ambassadors in sport club programs; to support BAME student engagement
participation in the Learning Well Leadership Programme where students can follow a leadership learning pathway to complement their studies and gain recognition for their formal and informal leadership and co-creation activities
additional learning enrichment initiatives

Some 40% of the students who contact Portsmouth’s Student Finance Centre requesting financial support are of Black, Asian and minority ethnicity. Many of these students are from lower income families and are also limited in the number of hours they can dedicate to a part-time job. They face genuine hardship. The Scholarship and Support Fund for Black Students will reduce financial pressures and expand learning enrichment experiences. It removes at least some of the obstacles that stand in the path of students on their way to achieving great things.

Whether it’s a single contribution or a regular, ongoing donation, rest assured we'll keep you informed on how your gift is used, and most importantly, the impact you, together with other contributors, are having on the lives of students.