The Women of St Hild’s Scholarship

Background

In 2023 we celebrate the 125^th anniversary of the first awards of Durham degrees to women. These remarkable women, Winifred Hindmarch, Mary Gibson and Dora Heslop, were all members of the College of St Hild.

The College of St Hild was founded in 1858 and was amalgamated with the College of the Venerable Bede to form the College of St Hild & St Bede. It championed the education of women and the wider cause of access to education for all irrespective of background and means. The scholarship was established by a group of alumnae of St Hild’s College and now benefits from donations from them and other alumni.

The scholarship

The St Hild’s Scholarship provides up to £3,000 annually, to a Hild Bede scholar, for up to four years of an undergraduate programme in any subject.  One scholar will be selected from our new first-year intake.  The scholar will also receive, in their first year, funds to become a member of the College Student Representative Council (SRC). The scholarship reflects and supports our mission to make a Durham education accessible to all and especially those for whom financial help makes that more possible.

Use of the Scholarship

The scholarship is intended to help the award-holder get the best out of their time at Durham University and Hild Bede.  The funding awarded does not need to be repaid.  The money may be used to pay for the things that would help the awardee most to achieve their best in our College and University.  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 which 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. You can also put it towards fees of costs of accommodation or tuition.

There will be a supplement to the scholarship of a sum, to be paid once and in Year 1, equivalent to the fee for membership of the College Student Representative Council (SRC) and to be used expressly and only for this purpose.

Eligibility

You are eligible for this scholarship if:

1. You are commencing your studies at the College of St Hild & St Bede in October 2023 (this includes if you will be commencing your Foundation Year); and
2. Your official fee status is Home student; and
3. Your household income has been, or will be, assessed by Student Finance England (SFE or equivalent) as below £55,000; and
4. You have been educated at a state-maintained UK school, college or other education provider for the whole of your education; and
5. You are a resident in North or North East of England, at the point of submitting an academic application through UCAS for a place at Durham University, residing in Northumberland, Newcastle, County Durham, Sunderland, Cumbria, Teesside or North Yorkshire. This means a postcode beginning as follows: CA, DH, DL, NE, TS and SR DL, DN, BD, HG, LA, WF or YO

Priority will be given to applicants who are first generation scholars.

Making an application

Apply here. You will need to have read the information to be found here in order to complete an application. 

You can find the application form including details of the documents that you will need here. For advice with applying, please contact the College at hildbede.admin@durham.ac.uk

Deadline

This Scholarship is open for applications to those planning commencement of their studies with us in the academic year 2023-2024.

You must have submitted an application to us by 5.00pm on Friday 6^th May 2023.

We will then assess applications and select a successful candidate who will be asked to sign an acceptance of the scholarship on the basis of attaining a place in college and meeting their entry requirement to study at the University.

Applicants may be shortlisted and placed on a waiting list until a formal acceptance has of the award has been finalised.