The University has announced a significant expansion of the scope of Crankstart, which includes generous bursaries, access to funded internships, volunteering opportunities and social and community-building events and is currently supporting 17% of Oxford’s UK undergraduate students from lower-income households.
It will now also fund access initiatives in support of every step of the student journey, including outreach to schools, engaging with students from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds from the age of 14; transition support for students starting university or moving into graduate study; additional graduate scholarships; and careers support.
Established in 2012 through a generous donation from Sir Michael Moritz and Ms Harriet Heyman, the Crankstart Scholarship provides one of the most generous undergraduate bursaries in the UK.
The expansion of Crankstart will secure the immediate future of access initiatives such as BeUNIQ, a new outreach programme for 14 to 16-year-olds in UK state schools from groups who are currently under-represented among Oxford undergraduates. The first programme is working with students from Bangladeshi and Pakistani backgrounds in schools and colleges across Birmingham, Bradford and Oldham and aims to foster academic confidence and support educational aspirations.
It will also allow the expansion of access initiatives for graduate students at Oxford, including supporting the Academic Futures graduate scholarships for students from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Crankstart graduate scholarships, which provide fully funded scholarships to undergraduate Crankstart Scholars who stay on for further masters or doctoral level study at Oxford, will also expand, as well as UNIQ+, which currently gives around 130 interns the opportunity to experience life as a postgraduate research student.
Martin Williams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), said: ‘Since 2012, the Crankstart Scholarship has positively impacted the lives of thousands of our students. We are delighted that Crankstart will be expanding to now support all stages of the student life cycle, and to be continuing our work with Sir Michael Moritz and Ms Harriet Heyman to improve opportunities for talented students from all backgrounds to access Oxford’s world-leading teaching.’
Sir Michael Moritz, a Christ Church alumnus, and his wife Harriet Heyman said: ‘Crankstart is pleased to have provided financial support to 3,177 worthy undergraduate students at Oxford over the last 12 years. Our education system should enable every child and adult, regardless of circumstances, to have an opportunity to shape their lives. We are delighted that Crankstart is now expanding its support to a broader set of students, starting before university and expanding through postgraduate education at Oxford.’ Approximately 17% of the UK undergraduate population is currently a Crankstart Scholar.
Other access initiatives supported by Crankstart include UNIQ – a residential experience to give students in Years 11 and 12 the opportunity to learn more about what studying at Oxford is like – and UNIQ+, which supports students’ transition to graduate study through a summer internship programme, providing a taster of postgraduate research at Oxford to undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds from across the UK.
Crankstart will also support the undergraduate access initiative Opportunity Oxford, which supports talented UK offer-holders from under-represented backgrounds in making a smooth transition from school to university.
UK undergraduate students from low-income households, including those who are care-experienced and estranged, will continue to receive generous bursaries through the Crankstart Scholarship, as well as tailored, funded Crankstart internships and a volunteering scheme helping students to be work-ready on graduation.
Find out more about the access initiatives supported by Crankstart and the Crankstart Scholarship for undergraduate students.