"Dear Rahamat, first of all congratulations! I remember the day I got my GCSE results. The potential for your life to change has just begun. So begins a letter from a young medical student, Kemi Adeyemi, which has been sent to Rahamat and thousands of other sixth formers with top GCSE results in some of England's most deprived areas, to encourage them to consider going on to university."
"I write this to you from my final year of medicine at King's College London (KCL) as a working-class student from a not-so-good area who was in care, went to state schools and was on free school meals, Adeyemi writes. Don't let financial considerations hold you back when choosing the right course and university for you, she says, detailing the financial support available through bursaries."
"Each letter is written by a KCL student who shares their own story to challenge the perception that university is only for the privileged. According to the Department for Education, privileged pupils are almost twice as likely to go to university as their disadvantaged peers, while teenagers in Redbridge, London, are almost three times more likely to progress to higher education than their peers in Knowsley, Merseyside."
Thousands of top GCSE students at schools and colleges with low higher-education progression in deprived areas receive personalised letters written by students from similar backgrounds. The letters share lived experiences, encourage applications, and explain bursaries and other financial support to dispel fears about costs. Data from the Department for Education shows privileged pupils are nearly twice as likely to attend university, with local disparities such as Redbridge versus Knowsley cited. The campaign aims to challenge the perception that university is only for the privileged, promote talent over background, and prompt universities to increase outreach and support to widen participation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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