The Glasgow School of Art (GSA), in partnership with The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (CSF), has announced a new scholarship and mentoring programme designed to support talented Black British students throughout their studies. The initiative reflects the GSA’s ongoing commitment to widening participation and addressing the underrepresentation of minority groups within its student community. Delivered in partnership with CSF, the programme will allow targeted support for Black British students of African, Caribbean, or mixed heritage from socioeconomically underrepresented backgrounds.
The scholarship will cover the full duration of study, providing a maintenance stipend of up to £8,000 and a tuition fee waiver for UK students for each year of their course. Scottish students will receive a maintenance stipend of up to £8,000, in addition to also not being required to cover their tuition fees. Scottish resident students, whose tuition fees are already covered, will receive the same maintenance grant.
In addition to financial support, recipients will also receive mentoring support helping to navigate student life and support their academic and personal growth. This support will be supplemented by a professional mentor who will offer insight and experience of transitioning into the creative industries and the wider world of work.
Over a period of nine years, the scholarships will support up to nine talented Black British undergraduate students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds beginning a programme of study at the GSA. This is a significant step in advancing the School’s strategic priorities around access, inclusion and equity while creating meaningful opportunities for current and future students. The Glasgow School of Art is the only visual arts institution partnered with The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation to facilitate these opportunities.
Professor Richard OC Oreffo FMedSci OBE; Founder of The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation said;
“Education has the power to transform lives. I am delighted The Glasgow School of Art has entered a partnership with The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation to support nine Cowrie Foundation Scholars in the coming decade, providing an opportunity for talented socio-economically disadvantaged Black British students to enter higher education. Lives will change.”
Shona Paul, Head of Professional & Continuing Education at The Glasgow School of Art said;
“The GSA is committed to ensuring that those who have the potential to benefit from a higher creative education can do so. This fund will be instrumental in clearly demonstrating this commitment to recipients. Through the mentorship programme, they will be supported to thrive and become ambassadors and mentors for future students.”
The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation sits alongside the GSA’s broader commitments supporting pupils from underrepresented groups in the West of Scotland and beyond to access creative Higher Education. The outcomes support senior phase pupils in Scotland from backgrounds of socio-economic disadvantage and underrepresented groups in their journeys to access Higher Education. The Cowrie Scholarship builds upon this preparatory work by supporting students financially throughout the course of their studies.
The introduction of the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation is part of the GSA’s commitment to tackling systemic barriers, specifically through its Race Equality Action Plan, and is in accordance with GSA’s Equality Outcomes (2021–2025) five key policy commitments: fostering a culture of dignity and respect, ensuring digital and physical accessibility, increasing diverse representation, improving lifelong outcomes for underrepresented groups, and utilising robust data to track progress.
For further information please contact press@gsa.ac.uk
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About The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation
The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (CSF), a registered charity (1191471), was set up to allow economically disadvantaged talented Black British students to attend UK universities. Founded in 2020 by Professor Richard Oreffo, CSF partner with UK universities to cover tuition fees alongside businesses and donors to cover living and maintenance costs (£8000 outside London and £10,000 in London per year). The aim of the scholarships is to improve inclusion in higher education and to allow students who have the educational ability to study to a degree, but who may experience financial barriers.
Since its inception, CSF has partnered with 30 UK universities (14 Russell Group), provided 70 full scholarships and raised tuition fee pledges from universities of in excess of £4m. Committed to changing Higher Education and Corporate diversity: the Foundation particularly encompasses and harnesses the strength of academics, universities and corporate partners.
The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation provides more than just money and offers mentorship, role models, and resilience programmes for the students who benefit from the scholarships to make the most of the opportunity.
The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation mission is to raise over £1.5 million, to unlock the university pledged funds to provide full scholarships to support over 100 students, in what is proposed to be a long-term initiative and will address some of the issues identified in the Russell Group Report Pathways for Potential.
For further information and information on how to donate and support the Foundation visit: www.cowriescholarshipfoundation.org
Website Email Donate Twitter : @CowrieSF
About The Glasgow School of Art
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world.
Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3,500 students and staff and 22,000 alumni across architecture, design, fine art and innovation and technology in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands). Consistently ranked as one of Scotland’s leading institutions for widening participation and access, 60% of graduates choose to remain in Glasgow after graduation, sustaining Glasgow’s position as one of the UK’s leading centres for the cultural and creative industries.
