Sixty-two UK students head to US universities through charity partnership

Sixty-two British state school students from low and moderate income backgrounds have won places to study at a number of US universities this year. 

The students took part in the Sutton Trust US Programme run in conjunction with the US-UK Fulbright Commission. 

They will take up places at 37 top universities across 17 states including Yale University. 

Two-thirds of the cohort (68 per cent) will be the first in their family to go to university and more than half (56 per cent) are from households with an income of less than £25,000. Half of the students have been eligible for free school meals or educational maintenance allowance.

Across their four years of study each student will receive an average of $264,500. This adds up to $16.4 million of financial support for the entire group.

Two of the students – Bonnie MacRae from Dundee and Raphaelle Soffe from Wales – spoke to Times Higher Education about how how they were feeling about their imminent departure to the states. Both of the students will be blogging their journey for Times Higher Education, with the first blogs to be published in August. 

The aim of the US programme is to encourage students from low and moderate income backgrounds to consider studying at American universities. 

The Sutton Trust is a registered charity that aims to provide social mobility through education. The US programme is based on the Sutton Trust’s successful flagship programme in the UK, which now runs at 12 British universities and has benefited more than 10,000 state school students. 

The US-UK Fulbright Commission aims to encourage intercultural understanding between the US and the UK through educational exchange. 

Applications for next year’s programme will open in November. Students can register their interest here.

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