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Through strategic scholarships, UEA is investing in exceptional talent across the globe.
Every student, regardless of background, should have the opportunity to thrive, learn, and build a future filled with promise. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are making this vision a reality. From scholarships that provide life-changing opportunities, to student hardship funds that remove barriers to study, to the sanctuary we offer to those fleeing conflict - philanthropy is the driving force behind a university where talent, not circumstance, determines success.
Ensuring no student is left behind
When the unexpected happens, philanthropy becomes a lifeline. Rising costs, emergencies, and financial instability can threaten a student’s ability to continue their education. Donor gifts make up an important part of UEA’s Student Hardship Fund, which helps ensure that students aren’t forced to abandon their studies due to financial pressures. In 2023/2024, the fund provided more than 300 hardship payments, totalling over £250k, helping students cover essentials like rent, food, and travel to placements. Among these payments, £35k were given as part of a new Travel and Tech Fund, launched this year, which helps students facing transport costs or the sudden loss of vital study equipment.
For many, this support has been transformative:
“Since being granted help, a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I now have enough money to buy food, cover my bills, and also go out with my friends from time to time. I feel that this will also improve my mental health as I no longer have to constantly worry about money.”
Every contribution ensures that students facing financial hardship can focus on their education without the fear of financial instability forcing them to leave university.
Removing barriers to education
The Difference Scholarship was established in 2019 to pool together donations from our supporters, aiming to prevent financial hardship from being a barrier to a UEA education. Open to students across all disciplines, these scholarships are life-changing for those who might otherwise struggle to afford university life.
Since 2020, 16 undergraduate and 16 postgraduate students have received a Difference Scholarship, each worth £5,000 per year. To date, this means £320,000 has been awarded, with a further £40,000 secured to support students starting in 2025/26.
For Kash Hinds (BIO19), a postgraduate Difference Scholar in Clinical Science, the scholarship meant freedom: “I’m so grateful to have the freedom to focus entirely on my research project. Thanks to my donor’s generosity, I was able to complete my studies. It’s been truly life changing.”
For Freddie Marlowe, an undergraduate studying Biomedicine, the scholarship made it possible to fully dedicate himself to his studies and secure a placement in a cancer genetics lab:
“My scholarship has transformed my UEA experience. It significantly eased my financial pressures, allowing me to focus on my studies instead of working to cover living costs.”
By relieving financial stress, the Difference Scholarship helps students achieve academic success while gaining skills and experiences that shape their future.
A University of Sanctuary
Education should be a place of safety, hope, and possibility. Since 2018, UEA has been recognised as a University of Sanctuary, offering scholarships to those from backgrounds of forced displacement. Over 30 students have received full scholarships, with many more benefiting from donor-funded sanctuary hardship funds, helping them rebuild their futures with dignity and purpose.
A Ukrainian student, forced to flee Kyiv, described the scholarship as “a beacon of hope”: “Without this initiative, my education would have been completely derailed. The support network I found at UEA changed everything.”
Bahara, a Sanctuary Scholar from Afghanistan, shared: “The Sanctuary Scholarship gave me a purpose in life and let me fight for my existence.”
These stories show how philanthropy can profoundly reshape lives, providing opportunities that have a lasting impact on those who need them most.
The power of collective giving
The Dare to Do Different campaign is built on a bold idea: that together, we can create a university where the brightest minds flourish, no matter where they come from or where they are on their educational journey. Whether supporting scholarships, funding student enterprise, enhancing our library, or investing in cutting-edge facilities, philanthropy fuels progress at UEA.
Together, we are shaping a campus that empowers, supports, and inspires. A university where no one is left behind. A place where students from all backgrounds can dare to dream, dare to achieve, and dare to do different.
Philanthropic support doesn’t just help the institution - it fosters future talent and transforms lives.
Geoffrey Pelham-Lane (EAS82), long-time supporter.