Campus hands out £1,000 cheques

Mark Hughes gave a £1,000 bursary to new student Owain Rhys Williams

A north west Wales scheme which offers young people £1,000 for attending university has seen the first students cash their cheques.

The University of Wales Bangor runs the largest programme of its kind in the UK to attract youngsters who would not normally think of going to university.

Its four-year Talent Opportunities Programme (Top) aims to give 1,500 pupils a taste of campus life.

Wales football manager Mark Hughes, an honorary fellow of the university, handed over the scholarship cheques at a ceremony on Thursday night.

Seven schools in north west Wales are now signed up for the Top scheme, which targets Year 9-11 pupils who come from areas with little tradition of sending youngsters to university.

It helps them to make the link between where they are now and where they could possibly be, even if they have never thought of that before Gerald Hewitson, Holyhead High

Two schools, Ysgol y Moelwyn, in Blaenau Ffestiniog, and Holyhead High School, have been the first to complete the scheme and seven pupils were awarded bursaries.

The programme sends former pupils back to the schools to talk about their life and opportunities on campus.

The hope is that pupils as young as 14 will respond to someone who is just a few years older than them and is seen to be benefiting from full-time study.

Gerald Hewitson, deputy head of Holyhead High, said the appearance of an 18 or 19-year-old student in the classroom has a powerful impact on youngsters in the process of choosing their options for GCSE exams.

Holyhead sixth former Gareth Slinn shadows student Colette Ryan

He said: "It helps youngsters to see an academic path that they might not naturally have chosen and, having seen that path, it offers support along the way and a tangible reward in terms of the bursary.

"It helps them to make the link between where they are now and where they could possibly be, even if they have never thought of that before."

The Top scheme also includes short stays at the campus for pupils from Year 10 onwards, to enjoy facilities such as the sports centre and students union.

The university's access staff give advice to the would-be students and their families about financial side of attending university.

The University of Bangor has seen its applications rise by 4% last year and 8% this year but a spokeswoman said the Top scheme was not aimed at boosting its own intake solely.

Bangor is the largest higher education provider in Welsh

She said: "The most important aim of the project is to raise aspirations. If they come to Bangor, so be it.

"If they do choose to come to Bangor, it's only fair that we give them unconditional offers.

"We recognise that it is difficult to finance yourself through higher education, especially if you come from a family with no tradition of higher education."

Five of the 19 Holyhead sixth formers who have gone on to higher education are attending Bangor, as are two from Ysgol y Moelwyn.

Other schools in the scheme include: Ysgol Bodedern, Bodedern, Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones, Amlwch, Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, Penygroes, and Rhyl High School.