Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students

Since its launch in 2018, the Stormzy Scholarship has provided financial support to 32 UK Black students helping to transform their University experience. This began with two students each year, before the scheme was expanded in 2021. Stormzy’s #Merky Foundation in partnership with HSBC UK will provide scholarships to 12 Black students starting their studies in autumn 2023.

The scholarships are non-repayable and will cover the full cost of tuition fees and provide a maintenance grant, which will significantly reduce the need for recipients to take out government or commercial loans. This support will be available to recipients for the three or four years of their undergraduate course. For 2023-24, the total award to each student for the year will be worth £20,000. Receipt of this award will not affect eligibility for a Cambridge Bursary.

Five years after the launch of the Stormzy Scholarship, HSBC UK has pledged a further £2m in support of 30 new Stormzy Scholarships over the next three years (2024-26). The #Merky Foundation will continue to fund a further two students per year.

Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, said: “We’re delighted the University’s collaboration with Stormzy’s #Merky Foundation and HSBC UK will continue for another three years. We’re also extremely grateful to them, as we are to all our donors, for the help they provide ensuring those who often feel marginalised because of the circumstances they grew up in, receive financial support enabling them to fully engage with the student experience. We know these scholarships are truly transformative in the opportunities they provide and we look forward to welcoming more Stormzy scholars to Cambridge over the next few years.”

Over 400 UK Black students have arrived to take up their courses at Cambridge in the past three years. There is however still more work to be done to ensure that UK Black students not only apply to study at the University, but feel at home here and achieve their full potential.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for a Stormzy Scholarship, applicants must:

1. Have one of the following categories of ethnicity:
   • Black African
   • Black Caribbean
   • Black Other
   • Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
   • Mixed – White and Black African
   • Other mixed background (to include Black African, Black Caribbean or Black Other)
2. Have a confirmed place for entry to the University of Cambridge for a first undergraduate degree, and due to commence study in October 2023. (You can check the status of your offer on UCAS Hub.) 
3. Be a UK student and have been assessed for fee status as 'home'. You were advised of your fee status in the offer letter issued to you earlier this year. If you are in doubt, please contact the Cambridge College that has offered you a place.
4. Have applied to Student Finance (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan, and have received confirmation that you have been assessed and will receive financial support. An income assessment must have been conducted and consent given to share the information with the University. Please note that if you are awarded a Stormzy Scholarship you will be able to reduce the amount of loan you take out to zero, but you will still need an income assessment from Student Finance to be able to receive the Cambridge Bursary.

How to apply

Applications for 2023 have now closed and will reopen in August 2024.

If you have questions regarding the Stormzy Scholarship, please email ugscholarships@admin.cam.ac.uk.