Stormzy Funds Tuition for 30 Black College Students

Rapper Stormzy is giving back to his community in a major way. According to the BBC, he is partnering with banking group HSBC UK to provide scholarships for 30 black students studying at Cambridge University. The outlet noted that each of the students will receive £20,000 annually to study at the university.

Stormzy is providing these new scholarships via his #Merky Foundation and in partnership with HSBC UK. These scholarships will cover tuition fees and maintenance costs for the chosen students. BBC reported that the funds will be granted to 10 new students each year over the course of the next three years. This is an impressive development for the Stormzy Scholarship program, which was first launched in 2018. The rapper’s scholarship program has helped six Black students since it was first started. Two students who received the Stormzy Scholarship in the past graduated this summer. They reportedly graduated from Cambridge University with high marks.

“For 30 more black students to have the opportunity to study at Cambridge University – the same year our initial 2018 scholars graduate – feels like an incredible milestone,” Stormzy said about this latest news. He added, “I hope this scholarship continues to serve as a small reminder to young black students that the opportunity to study at one of the best universities in the world is theirs for the taking.” Stormzy’s scholarship program is open to students who are Black of mixed-race heritage. The students also have to have a confirmed place at Cambridge University in order to be eligible for this program.

Professor Graham Virgo, who is the senior pro-vice-chancellor at Cambridge University, spoke out about the news and praised the program for providing more opportunities for Black students at their institution. The professor noted that this scholarship goes beyond the program itself, as it has encouraged even more students to apply to the college in the first place. He stated, “Since the Stormzy Scholarships were announced in 2018 we have seen a significant increase in the number of black students applying to study here and being admitted and we are very proud to see the first two students supported by the scheme graduate this year.” Virgo added that the university is “confident” that some of those who have received this scholarship and have been on this “exciting journey” would not have been able to do so “without the generous support of philanthropists like Stormzy.”

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