Glasgow Caledonian students set to benefit from ‘life-changing’ £48,000 donation

Over the next four years, young people who have experienced living in care, who are estranged from their family, or living in areas of high deprivation can access vital financial support from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Students at GCU will be able to access this financial support thanks to a donation by the Robert and Jeanne Mairs Charitable Trust. The support will be available for the next four years after the GCU’s Health and Life Sciences department received a £48,000 donation.

The charity was established by two local doctors to support the relief of poverty and the advancement of education and health. The priority will be with students studying social work. Annually, two £4,000 bursaries and a total of £4,000 hardship funding will be available.

Social work students will be eligible to apply for payments between £250 and £500 to help support them in times of financial difficulty. Applications for the next academic year will open this month.

Within the 22/23 academic year, Glasgow Caledonian had a total of 89 care-experienced students, the majority based within the School of Health and Life Sciences with 63 per cent studying to pursue careers in caring professions.

Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Professor Anita Simmers, has said: “At Glasgow Caledonian, we are committed to supporting life-changing opportunities for those with the most need in our communities.

“We are sincerely grateful that the Robert and Jeanne Mairs Charitable Trust is providing dedicated financial support for our health and social care students through bursaries and hardship funding. These will provide a much-needed lifeline to our aspiring students.”