The St Aidan's College Irene Hindmarsh Scholarship | 2021-22 Academic Year

The Irene Hindmarsh Scholarship provides up to £4,000 annually, per Scholar, for up to four years of an undergraduate programme in any subject. Typically, two new Scholars are selected from each first-year intake.  This scholarship is funded by an alumnus of St Aidan’s College. 

How can I use the Scholarship?

The Scholarships are intended to help you get the best out of your time at Durham University and St Aidan’s College.  The funding awarded to you is yours and does not need to be repaid.  You can use the money to pay for the things that would help you most.  Typically, students find it helpful to use such awards to purchase their own learning resources such as textbooks, laptops and related devices; membership and other costs relating to clubs, societies, sports and activities that interest them and help build skills that may transfer into the workplace; and/or to enable participation in activities that support personal development and employability – perhaps volunteering, or attending employer insight days.

Am I eligible to apply?

You are eligible for these Scholarships if:

1. you are commencing your studies at St Aidan’s College in October 2021 (this includes if you will be commencing your Foundation Year); and
2. your official fee status is a Home student; and
3. your household income has been assessed by Student Finance England (SFE) (or equivalent) as below £42,875 at the start of the 2021/22 academic year; and
4. you have been educated at a state-maintained UK school, college or other education provider for the whole of your education

How and when do I apply?

To apply for one of these Scholarships, complete the application form by clicking here

The information you provide will be treated in strict confidence, and will only be seen by members of the selection panel. Applications must be received before midnight (no later than 23:59 BST) on Tuesday 16 November 2021.  Late applications cannot be considered. Successful applicants will be notified during the week commencing 22 November 2021.

What is the selection process?

Your application will be assessed by a panel chaired by Dr Susan Frenk, as Principal of St Aidan’s College.  The panel will consider your application against three criteria as follows:

1. your academic talent

• your UCAS application provides us with the information that we need

 2. how the award is likely to enhance the contribution you can make to College and University life

• College is proud to be home to an enormous range of activity, from sports teams, music, theatre and cultural societies, to outreach programmes working with local community groups and initiatives to ensure that Aidan’s remains a warm, welcoming, inclusive and diverse community. Typically, these activities are organised and led by students, and depend on students to keep them going.

Please use the application form to tell us a little about:

• how you hope to contribute to College life?
• how would scholarship funding help you to do that?
• how will being an active member of St Aidan’s College help you to grow and develop during your time at Durham?

3. your financial situation

• your Student Finance England (or equivalent) letter enables us to verify your Household Income
• it is important that scholarships like these help as many students as possible, and help those students who can benefit most from them. To help us do that, please tell us about any other funding you receive which you are not required to pay back e.g. grants, awards, Scholarships, Bursaries and similar. You do not need to tell us about any tuition fee, or maintenance loans you are entitled to. This information will be considered alongside your verified Household Income (see above).

If I am awarded a Scholarship, what else do I have to do?

If you are awarded a Scholarship, you will be asked in the first and third term of each academic year to write a short reflection on the part your Scholarship is playing in your experience as a student of St Aidan’s College at Durham University. By accepting the offer of a Scholarship you will be agreeing to provide the short reports outlined above. These reports will be shared with the donor who is funding your Scholarship, so they can see how this support is helping you, and may be published in full or in part in College and/or University publications in print and/or online. You may also be asked to contribute other quotes or content from time to time.  If reports, comments or other content you have submitted are to be published, you have the option for these to include your name, photograph, or other content that might identify you, or not – if you prefer not to be identified as the recipient of a Scholarship.

The scholarship is about offering support to those who might benefit from it most. Support is typically financial, but can also come in the form of having a community around you who can act as trusted friends, mentors and approachable sources of listening, advice and signposting to wider networks. You will be invited, at least once per academic year, to meet with other students in receipt of a Scholarship, along with a small number of staff of St Aidan’s College and/or the University, and perhaps the donor of your Scholarship. These meetings are intended to help you by creating a community of Scholars that you can feel part of, by giving you access to Durham staff who are in your corner, by giving you the chance to understand what motivates your donor to fund your scholarship, and for you to express your response to your scholarship in person.  You may also receive invitations to participate in occasional other events relating to your Scholarship.  By accepting the offer of a Scholarship, you will be agreeing to make the time (wherever possible) to attend and participate in such meetings and events.