Giving to Loughborough
Loughborough Calling
Spring 2019
Each year, a team of current Loughborough students takes the time to telephone the University's former students as part of our Telephone Campaign. This year’s campaign is due to start in February 2019 and we will be focusing on fundraising for scholarships for students from low-income backgrounds.
The difference you can make
Meet Laura...
Laura is a fourth-year student studying Sports and Exercise Science at Loughborough and was awarded a life-changing scholarship. We caught up with Laura to discover the impact that your support has had on her and her family.
"Just that extra bit of financial support can have such a positive impact on someone’s life. No one can help their household income or their background, so by giving students the chance to flourish and develop during their time at university, it’s probably one of the best gifts anyone could ever give."
Can you tell us why you needed scholarship support?
I live in one of the most deprived areas of the UK, where there is a huge percentage of unemployment and a small percentage of young adults who go on to higher education. My parents have provided so much for me while growing up and were prepared to help support me during my time at university where they could, but I knew this would be putting a further financial strain on our family and I felt really guilty about the impact it would have.
I knew I wanted to study Sports Science at Loughborough and that I wanted to take advantage of the placement year available as the University’s sporting contacts are phenomenal. While doing this, I realised that the majority of sporting placements are unpaid too. Once I found out about this, I started saving up for two years before I even started at Loughborough.
Hearing about the availability of donor-funded scholarships lifted me up, knowing I had a chance of relieving some of the financial burden on my parents. It put less of a strain on me as I could concentrate on my studies and extracurricular activities more instead of having to work more hours to earn more money to cover costs.
What do you think would have happened if you didn’t get the support?
How did you feel when you got your scholarship?
What do you think your scholarship has helped you to achieve?
What do you want to say to those that supported you?
What would you say to someone thinking about pledging their support to help other people like you?
This experience has made me 100% more ambitious to work within the sporting industry, it solidified that this is the career path I want to take. I never would have gotten here without the scholarship and I am forever grateful.
Why your support matters
Thanks to a range of gifts contributing to the scholarship fund, we will award each successful applicant between £1,000-£1,800 a year for each year of their degree to cover unexpected costs, buy course materials and equipment and to meet the gap in funding the cost of living. This will make a real difference to the lives of many of our students.
As part of the scholarship programme, gifts will enable us to safeguard student welfare by reducing stress and an over-reliance on extra employment, whilst build inclusivity and participation in campus life. By donating you will be encouraging our students to fulfil their potential, proving that at Loughborough, financial background is no barrier to an amazing student experience.
