AFC Chairman donates £100k to help widen access to education at RGU

The pledge will support the development of ‘The Cormack Family Scholarship’, which will help widen access to higher education by providing financial support to 10 undergraduate students over the next two years.

The scholarship will be awarded to undergraduate students who have been offered and accepted a place to study at RGU and can demonstrate financial need, academic merit, motivation and ambition. As well as financial support throughout a degree course, the scholarship students will receive bespoke pastoral care from the RGU widening access team.

Dave Cormack commented: “Empowering young people through education is one of the pillars of the Cormack Family Foundation and we are thrilled to be able to establish a programme of Access Scholarships at Robert Gordon University which will support ten students from diverse backgrounds, who may not otherwise have had this opportunity, through a four-year degree course.

“As Aberdonians, with our roots firmly in the North-east, Fiona and I are fortunate to be in a position to support the next generation of talent and skills and to partner with a modern, forward-thinking university which plays a major part of the region’s rich and diverse learning and teaching landscape.

“We look forward to meeting the first students selected for these scholarships and will be keeping an eye on their progress through their time at RGU.”

A range of access scholarships are available to RGU students which offer a package of support to talented students with the ability, though not the means, to achieve their potential through higher education.

Professor John Harper, Principal of RGU, added: “At the heart of the RGU strategy is our commitment to extending the reach and widening access to our learning portfolio, and this extremely generous donation from The Cormack Family Foundation will really support us to do so.

“For many students, receiving a scholarship is a life-transforming situation which can support them to thrive in their studies and careers, and we are indebted to Dave and his family for making this happen.”

All access scholarships at RGU have been made possible by donations from alumni, business and Trusts and Foundations.

To find out more about The Cormack Family Foundation Scholarship, please visit the website.