York St John University
Our scholarships
Supporting students. Changing futures.
/prod01/yorksjacuk/media/content-assets/safe-images/1600-x-1000/students-on-campus-53-1600-x-1000.jpg)
Since 2016, we have proudly supported 122 students reach their potential. Thanks to the generous support of our alumni community, philanthropic organisations, and our wider donor community, we can continue our work to make higher education more accessible.
Expanding access to higher education remains a challenge, with students facing social or economic inequality often encountering the greatest barriers. Our scholarships help break down those barriers by providing vital financial support and the confidence students need to succeed. Our ambition is to ensure that every eligible student who applies for a scholarship can receive one, so that talent and potential, not circumstance, define a student’s future.
YSJ Future Pathways Scholarship
YSJ Future Pathways Scholarships support undergraduate and postgraduate students who face significant barriers to study. Successful applicants receive £1,000 per academic year for the duration of their studies.
These scholarships are made possible through the generous support of our alumni and wider donor community. By 2030, we hope the Future Pathways Scholarship will support 30 students each year, helping more students fulfil their potential as they prepare to begin their careers and make a positive impact in the world.
The Future Pathways Scholarship provides support that students describe as transformative and essential in helping them continue their educational journey.
At a time when I felt I had no one to turn to, receiving this scholarship reminded me that kindness and generosity still exist in the world. This scholarship was more than just financial assistance - it was a message of hope and encouragement that gave me strength to carry on
— Psychology BSc student
Why giving matters
The support we receive from our donor community is essential to the growth and long-term sustainability of our scholarship programme.
Our donors often share that giving back to York St John is a deeply personal and rewarding experience. Their support helps open doors for students, while also reflecting the meaningful connection they feel to the University.
"Hearing I had received the scholarship was monumental! The difference the money made to myself, and my family was unmeasurable."
Former Welcome Back to Education Scholar
"My support as an alum, I hope will address whatever needs are there to help students at a particular moment."
Donor, Alum 1964 to 1967
"I think giving them the chance and the support they need to really make the best of their time here does make a difference and they then go on to make a difference back. They become amazing people, the people they always could have been with the engagement with York St John."
York St John’s first Vice Chancellor
"I was so grateful to have received the scholarship; thank you. It helped me push through a difficult time in my life and enabled me to successfully reach my ambition to develop a career in the field of counselling and hopefully have a positive impact upon others."
Former scholar and 2017 graduate
"Leaving a gift in my will to encourage this approach is for me, really a “no-brainer”, especially if the money will be used specifically to support students from backgrounds and contexts traditionally under-represented at university."
Former Head of School of Linguistics and Social Sciences
Read case studies from our donors
"The funding has helped to provide me and my son a lovely, homely environment that is safe but also helps me to concentrate on my work at University. Without this funding it would have taken me years to save up the money to make my home a more effective study space."
Current Welcome Back to Education scholar
Other scholarships and awards
Our donor community has funded a range of additional scholarships and prize funds that provide financial support, celebrate achievement, and enhance students’ experience at York St John. Many are supporting current students throughout their studies.
The Education Opportunity Award supports underrepresented PGCE students, including carers, parents, those from low-income households, or individuals whose circumstances have significantly changed.
The award was established through a generous legacy gift from a York St John alum who trained as a teacher here in the 1950s. Their wish was to help mature students access PGCE study, just as they once had the opportunity to do. Today, that legacy continues through the teachers of the future, with 22 students already supported to pursue their ambition of inspiring the next generation of learners.
The Gateway Scholarship is kindly supported by a York St John graduate who studied as a mature student, and their partner, a former University lecturer. The scholarship helps mature students, care leavers, carers, and those whose education was affected by COVID to access higher education. To date, 8 students have received £2,000 per academic year through this award, helping them fully engage with their studies and achieve their potential.
The Ed De Nunzio Charitable Trust works with charities and voluntary organisations in the York area to help young people reach their full potential by providing opportunities they might not otherwise access.
The Ed De Nunzio Scholarship has supported 12 students, awarding £1,000 per year to those facing financial difficulties. In keeping with the Trust’s ethos, recipients are under 25 and from the York area, helping local young people pursue their higher education goals.
Launched in 2005, the SPARK scholarship developed into the Vice Chancellor’s scholarship before becoming the Alumni-funded scholarship in the early 2020s. In 2026, this scholarship fund was renamed the YSJ Future Pathways Scholarship
To celebrate 50 years since the foundation of the College of Ripon and York St John, our alumni community came together to support a new Graduation Prize. This prize recognised students who embodied the College’s enduring values; community-minded, resilient, and supportive of others throughout their studies. Academic Schools nominated final year students who best reflect these values, and thanks to alumni generosity, 50 graduating students each received £50 in recognition of their contribution.
