Santander pledges £100k to support Teesside University students

Teesside University has partnered with Santander, unlocking two years of funding opportunities to support student education, entrepreneurship, and employability.

The partnership makes available scholarships, grants and awards to the Teesside University community with a combined value of £100k over two years designed to ease financial pressures and enhance the university experience.

All Teesside staff, students, and graduates can also access Santander Open Academy, a free global e-learning platform offering courses and expert-led content to help people acquire and update skills and competencies that are most in demand in the labour market.

Two Santander Scholarships and ten Brighter Futures Grants, amounting to £20k, have already been awarded to help students cover the general costs of university life and focus more fully on their studies and professional development.

Isabel Lozano Hernandez, who studies MSc Sustainable Engineering Systems, said: “This grant from Santander is not just financial support, but a vote of confidence that motivates me to strive for excellence.”

Babatunde Samuel Yekinni, who is completing the MSc Mechanical Engineering (with Advanced Practice) course, said: “I am really grateful for this £1,000 grant. This huge support will ease financial pressure and allow me to focus more fully on my studies, projects and professional development.”

Fellow recipient Efua Sekyiwa Sagoe, studying MPH Public Health (Applied), added: “This grant will be a meaningful support during my studies, and I appreciate the confidence placed in me.”

Additional employability funding will strengthen students’ career prospects, with 60 grants of £250 helping to cover costs associated with interviews, placements and other professional opportunities.

Student and graduate entrepreneurs can also benefit from access to funding through Santander X, with three awards of £5,000 set to support the launch, growth and scaling of new businesses.

Santander X is a global initiative that helps entrepreneurs and companies grow and transform their businesses. It offers a comprehensive value proposition including training programmes, challenges and awards, networking and tailored financial solutions. Applications close on 3 June.

Santander is one of the world’s leading corporate supporters of higher education, investing more than €2.5b through collaboration agreements with more than 1,000 universities and institutions from 13 countries in the last three decades.

It has invested £115m in partnerships with universities in the UK since 2007.

Helen Jamison, Development Officer at Teesside University, said: “We are absolutely delighted to join the Santander Universities Programme, which brings an incredible boost to the opportunities we can offer our students.

“This generous £100k pledge will make a tangible difference to learners across Teesside, widening access, easing financial pressures and empowering them to focus on their ambitions.”

Jon Powell, UK Partnership Director, Santander UK, added: “At Santander we believe strongly in the power of collaboration, and we’re delighted to establish this new partnership with Teesside University.

“Through Santander Open Academy, we’re proud to support students from all backgrounds to access opportunities that help them progress in their studies and future careers.”

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