Many alumni and other donors have already kindly supported our students over the years in this way and there are many great success stories from such bursary-funded students. Do you ever reminisce about your time as a student at Edinburgh? From the postgraduate demonstrators guiding undergraduates in the teaching labs, to the vibrant social scene organised by ChemSoc, study at Edinburgh is enriched by our sense of community. We hope you would agree that your experience here contributed immensely to your careers. Our School has a supportive culture that has never been more crucial than it is today. Students now face more financial challenges and anxieties than previous generations, making the decision to accept a place to study at Edinburgh more about personal financial circumstances than ever before. This puts the education many alumni received at Edinburgh out of the reach of many able young people today. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni some students in financial difficulty are able to receive access bursaries. These bursaries relieve paralysing money worries. They free students from working late hours in part-time jobs, enabling them to spend more time in the lab and focus on their coursework. You Can Help Access bursaries mean a student's ability, not their background, determines whether they can pursue their dreams and study at university. Many say a bursary was the difference between make or break during this sometimes stressful, but hugely important stage in life. For this reason the School has established the Chemistry Tercentenary Bursary Fund. It aims to provide bursaries to all students who need financial help. It also offers you the opportunity to support and inspire the Chemistry students of today to liberate their potential. We invite you to support our future chemists by investing in the Tercentenary Fund to help other students with as much or as little as you can: Contact chemistry.alumni@ed.ac.uk to express your interest in supporting the fund Many alumni and other donors have already kindly supported our students over the years in this way and there are many great success stories from such bursary-funded students. The confidence and independence this financial stability gives them comes through in every story. Here are some of their comments: "It is difficult to express in words how important this bursary has been to me. Without this support, it would have been impossible for me to study at university due to my financial background. This opportunity has allowed me to pursue my love of Chemistry at an advanced level that would have been unattainable otherwise. Just knowing that I have been allowed this level playing field to work on gives me the greatest feeling of gratitude. It truly pleases me that, through this bursary, I can be judged on my academic merits alone without having the constant threat of a complete financial meltdown looming over my head. Through the brilliant example you have set, I hope that someday, I may too give something back into the academic culture that has educated me and hope that I can, through my degree, make a difference to the world." "The financial support from the bursaries has allowed me to strike the right balance of work and university, allowing my studies to be my focus without worrying about having to work more hours to be financially stable. The focus on studies has paid off. Straight As in my first year, and things are looking good and on track for second year. This has allowed me to consider a year in industry either at home in the UK or further afield. Chemistry at Edinburgh has been better than expected!" "It has given me freedom and a peace of mind that has made learning here a pleasure. It has enabled me to study in such a prestigious establishment that I may have otherwise not been able to attend. It has not only lifted a weight off my own shoulders but off my parents also and for that I am eternally grateful." Chemistry alumni This article was published on 2023-12-06
