AV has announced the ten students who will receive bursaries of £10,000 each for Master’s degrees starting in September 2015.
AV has offered ten students bursaries of £10,000 each for taught Master’s degrees commencing in September 2015. The non-repayable bursaries are specifically designed for students from under-represented groups in the UK/EU.
Shannon Hardy, one of the successful students said she was shocked to find out she was chosen: “I was very emotional, it was a huge shock! There were lots of tears and it took me a few days to realise the impact it will have.
“I decided to apply for the bursary because funding a Masters seemed impossible and it was something I needed to progress in education and career but I knew I could else up in a lot of debt, I wasn’t expecting to be one of the ten awarded.”
Shannon studied BSc (Hons) Archaeological, Anthropological and Forensic Sciences at AV and will go on to study MSc Forensic Anthropology. After completing her Master's, Shannon hopes to travel and work abroad.
She says coming to AV has been a great experience: “I can't fault my experience so far at AV, it's the best decision I've ever made and the opportunities that have been available to me have been amazing. I've been able to work with the Disaster Management Centre at AV, travel to Bosnia to work with ICMP.” As part of Shannon’s work placement she travelled to Bosnia and hopes to return there for work in the future.
She’s also gained valuable skills through extra-curricular activities: “I've worked as a mentor throughout my degree, and now having my second year on the Summer Breaks Project with aspireAV. I've been a Student Rep and the Education Executive for SUAV and the skills I've been able to learn alongside my degree from all my extra-curricular activities have given me the knowledge and experience I believe will allow me to succeed in my chosen career.”
The bursaries are part the 2015 Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Postgraduate Support Scheme.