University Academy 92 (UA92) is introducing an innovative package of benefits designed to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds access higher education.
Inspired by Marcus Rashford鈥檚 free school meals campaign, and UA92鈥檚 own vision to make higher education accessible to all, UA92 has created a free 拢5,000 support package of education essentials.聽
Funded with the help of partners Microsoft, TalkTalk and more, the package includes a laptop, unlimited data, travel to UA92, lunches throughout the year and a home starter voucher, providing students with the fundamental support they need for successful study.聽
Gary Neville, co-founder of UA92, commented: 鈥淎t UA92, we aim to make higher education inclusive and accessible to everyone, regardless of background.聽
鈥淪adly, young people from communities where financial deprivation is high often miss out on the chance to continue their education so we were keen to develop a package of support for those who truly need it.聽
鈥淲e鈥檝e worked hard with our partners to create the Make It For Real initiative to offer more young people the opportunity to continue their education and thrive, irrespective of traditional barriers.鈥�
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CEO of UA92, Sara Prowse, added: 鈥淥ur Make It For Real initiative underpins UA92鈥檚 principles of accessibility, social mobility and inclusivity.聽
鈥淐urrently only 26% of students eligible for free school meals progress to higher education, compared to 45% of those who don鈥檛 receive free school meals. This gap is the highest it鈥檚 been since 2006.
鈥淭hese statistics make it clear that much more can be done to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. For many, continuing education beyond what is compulsory is deemed unaffordable or inaccessible.聽
鈥淭his package is designed to help these young people think again about higher education by providing them with some of the fundamentals for successful study which are often forgotten costs.鈥�
UA92 is working in partnership with a number of brands to deliver the Make It For Real package. Students eligible for the grant will each receive a Microsoft Surface Pro laptop and unlimited TalkTalk data for three years, Co-op lunch vouchers (five days a week, 52 weeks of the year for the length of their course), 拢150 Dunelm home vouchers and free travel to get to UA92.聽
The package is available to UA92 students enrolling from November onwards. To qualify, students need to currently be in receipt of free school meals or did so in their last year at school or college. The Make It For Real package is available to the current intake of undergraduates applying through UCAS.聽
The campaign will reach all corners of the UK, focusing initial activation through communities in Greater Manchester.聽
For more information on the Make It For Real support package and details how to apply visit www.ua92.ac.uk