University of Edinburgh reinstates Participation Grant following campaign by 93% Club

The University of Edinburgh has made £25,000 available to reinstate the Participation Grant following a campaign by The 93% Club Edinburgh.

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds can now access funds to help with the costs of extracurricular activities like society fees, sport equipment, and transport.

Any recipients of a uni-funded UK undergraduate scholarship are eligible to apply – as well as any student who is a disabled, a carer, a parent, care-experienced, or estranged from their parents.

The 93% Club told The Edinburgh Tab they saw the reinstatement as a “huge win” but added: “We know there is much more to do to create an accessible and affordable student experience”.

The reinstatement follows a week of action by the 93% Club Edinburgh – a campaign group that aims to promote access and opportunities for state-educated students.

One of the measures they were calling for was the return of the Participation Grant – that they allege had been axed at the start of this academic year.

The 93% Club alleged that EUSA’s annual report showed that through the fund: “In the 20/21 Academic Year over £33,000 was allocated to more than 240 students. Similarly, in the 19/20 Academic Year, over £40,000 was allocated to almost 250 students.”

They had started a petition which argued that the grant was a “lifeline for those from low income backgrounds who wanted the opportunity to socialise outside of their academic classes, to take up a hobby, and who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do so due to financial constraints.”

Now it has been reinstated, the grant will be administered through EUSA but funded by the uni.

Eligible students will be contacted by EUSA directly to apply for funds – for both current, future, and retrospective costs. This means students can apply for reimbursement for costs incurred last semester as well as this semester.

Andrew Wilson, a member of The 93% Club and former Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) President, told The Edinburgh Tab he was “delighted and relieved that the University has taken notice of students coming together to demand a better student experience.”

“Despite denials from University staff that the participation grant had not been scrapped, it has now been reinstated and is available retrospectively to cover Semester One costs too. £25,000 into the pockets of students is a huge win, but we know there is so much more to do to create an accessible and affordable student experience.”

Announcing the scheme, Peter Mathieson (the uni’s principal) said in a statement: “Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to study at Edinburgh, so I am pleased that this grant will enable students from a wide range of diverse backgrounds to thrive, to feel a sense of belonging and to enjoy University life.

“This grant is in addition to around £10m spent by the University on undergraduate widening participation bursaries this year, with particular growth in funding for care leavers and estranged students.”

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