Five ways you can support our students
1. Donate to our scholarship fund
It’s a well-known fact that student loans don’t actually cover most student expenses. Whilst it can make money tight for many students, for some students who face extra pressures, scholarships are the only way they can afford to continue their education. Our alumni-funded scholarships support the students who need it most by helping reduce their financial worries.
With this scholarship I can now get a up to date computer and for me that is a huge step forward. In the past three months I have gone from ‘can we pay the rent if I stay at UNI’ to ‘I can get the tools I need to work harder’.
Student R, a Welcome Back to Education scholarship recipient. Find out more in our blog about it.
Every year we support students by providing thousands of pounds of financial help. Whether you make a one-off donation or set-up a monthly direct debit, your donation will help us continue supporting students. You can find out more about why students apply for a scholarship in a blog post from last year. Donate today to support the students who need it most via JustGiving.
2. Donate your time to share your experience
Do you have experience working in a field that’s difficult to get in to? Do you have advice you’d like to share? The chance to listen to and talk to an industry professional is invaluable to students as they decide which paths to pursue post-graduation.
We’d love to have more alumni on campus to share their career insights, particularly for hard to access industries. We’d also love to hear from our freelancing alumni about your experiences and top tips.
Please email alumni@yorksj.ac.uk if you are interested in sharing your experience.
3. Create a work experience opportunity or graduate internship
Whether you run your own business, head a department or work as part of a team, organising a paid work experience opportunity is a great way to support our students. Work experience helps students gain experience in a new industry, learn important skills and even work on a project for their CV. It also shows recruiters that they’re prepared to put the work in and can learn quickly.
Creating a paid internship role for recent graduates is another fantastic way of supporting our students. Paid graduate internships help recent graduates transition from student to employee. They also help graduates learn a variety of skills and work on multiple projects. It also helps them experience the workplace, sometimes for the first time! Plus, internships also bring new talent into your team. New graduates, brimming with enthusiasm and new ideas, that’s never a bad thing!
Email careers@yorksj.ac.uk to discuss providing a work experience or graduate opportunity.
4. Volunteer to host a webinar about your career
If an in-person session isn’t for you, volunteering just an hour of your time to host a webinar is a great way of supporting our students in a time that fits you. Talk about your career path, the advice you wish you’d received and what you’d do differently if given the chance. Plus, highlight the lessons you’ve learnt that might benefit current students as they begin entering the workplace.
We’ve already heard from alumni from multiple industries and would love to share webinars with our students from an even wider range of industries and roles. If you’re interested in contributing a webinar with us, please contact alumni@yorksj.ac.uk.
5. Leave a gift to York St John
Attending York St John changed your life. Help us to continue changing the lives of students by leaving us a gift in your will to create your York St John legacy. No matter the size of the gift you leave us, you can choose how we spend it in the future, or you can decide to leave it open to what’s needed at the time. Twenty years ago we’d have never guessed that students need to have their own laptop to access some of resources, who know what students will need in the future?
Regrettably not all those who could benefit from a Higher Education can do so because of financial constraints. Your gift can help the University continue to open its doors to as many people as possible.
I know that the gift I am leaving in my will also help secure the values I share with York St John. If you too choose to leave the University a legacy, I am sure that you will feel the same sense of satisfaction that I did from making a commitment to shape the future for the better.
Professor Dianne Willcocks from our blog.
If you’re thinking about leaving York St John a gift in your Will, or would like some more information, please email alumni@yorksj.ac.uk.
