Social landlords sending 200 tenants to university

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Education

Two social landlords have 200 education bursaries between them to send tenants to university.

Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) and Cube Housing Association are providing bursaries of up to £1,500 to help residents and their children with travel expenses, textbooks, childcare or other costs necessary for their studies.

The Better Futures Fund bursaries are open to anyone over 17 who lives in a GHA or Cube home and who is starting a university undergraduate degree.

The funds are also available to tenants who are going to college at HNC/HND level with a view to going to university.

Duygu Gunes, a GHA tenant from Balornock who is studying Biomedical Science at Glasgow Caledonian University, received a bursary last year.

Duygu said: “It has been a brilliant help. I bought my laptop and I’m now able to stay at home to do more work. It really means so much to me.”

GHA and Cube, which are part of the newly-formed Wheatley Housing Group, helped 204 students last year with bursary funding.

Tracey Murray, a Cube tenant from Broomhill who is in her third year of a Social Work degree at Strathclyde University, also received funding last year. She said: “I have two young children and I couldn’t afford to go down the academic route before.

“Being able to buy my own books has made a big difference as I previously had to rely on the university library. I can now study at a time that suits me and work my studies around my family life.”

GHA chair Gordon Sloan said: “We want to give all of our tenants and their families the opportunity to aspire to higher education without the worry of student debt.

“The Better Futures Fund is a great way to help our tenants achieve a qualification which will really help them in the job market.”

Cube Chair Liz Ruine added: “We’re delighted to be able to offer these bursaries to Cube tenants. A bursary could be the big factor in whether a student applies for university or whether they can afford to stay on their course.”

Pictured: Scottish Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance met some of last year’s GHA and Cube tenants who received a Better Futures Fund bursary.