Former Manchester City player Raheem Sterling is part of an initiative that will support students in Manchester and London in a bid to close the attainment gap for black British students, increase social mobility and support equal access to higher education.
A partnership between the Raheem Sterling Foundation, The University of Manchester and King’s College London was announced on Monday. It will support 14 students with scholarships that will enable them to study at the universities.
There will be a number of opportunities over the next three years for students to apply, which will be available to young people in the regions of Greater Manchester and Greater London. The first four scholarships - two at King's and two at Manchester - will be available for students commencing degree programmes in 2023/24.
The Raheem Sterling Foundation is committed to greater social mobility, providing better education, and furthering employment opportunities for young people.
Speaking about the partnership, Sterling - who left City last summer to join Chelsea - said: "This opportunity will help young people access further education and present them with experiences and opportunities that will enhance their future career prospects. I hope this initiative will be a real game changer over the next few years and I am delighted to be working with two of the finest universities in the world.
"I wish the recipients of our funding all the very best and look forward to meeting everyone on campus in Manchester and London later this year."
Sterling signed for City from Liverpool in 2015 and went on to make 339 appearances for the Etihad club, registering 131 goals and 95 assists. He won 10 major honours at the Etihad, including four Premier League titles.
Clive Ellington, Chair of Trustees added: "At the Raheem Sterling Foundation, we believe that access to better education and employment opportunities should be made fair to all young people regardless of financial circumstances and background.
"The work we do is in pursuit of improving their opportunities, future careers and quality of life and we won’t rest until we succeed in Raheem’s vision of achieving this.’
"Partnering with two of the UK’s most outstanding universities, whose strive for change mirrors that of ours, is a real highlight in our journey to date, and we couldn’t be happier to announce our commitment to them and the students over the next three years."
According to research (2021/22), less than five percent of all UK students starting undergraduate degrees at Russell Group universities were black. The partnerships with The University of Manchester and King’s College London will support young people from underrepresented backgrounds to gain access to greater education and enable them to achieve their greatest potential.
The University of Manchester is the world’s first civic university and first in the UK to have social responsibility as a core goal. 25% of its undergraduate students come from disadvantaged backgrounds – a significant number in comparison to other universities.
"The Raheem Sterling Foundation partnership will give us additional support to enable talented black students to access higher education, mitigating financial challenges so they are better able to focus on their studies and realise their full potential," said President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell.
"I believe that scholarships are a vital tool in helping students to access and progress through higher education, which is why we are so proud to partner with Raheem to invest in talented black students in Greater Manchester."
For more information on the courses available, eligibility criteria, and application process, visit the University of Manchester and King’s College London website.
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