The Aimhigher scheme, which provided financial support to students from low-income families to encourage university attendance, will end later this month. The £600,000 annual funding helped over 1,400 students in the region apply to university last year, a 66% rise since the program began. Teachers fear the loss of Aimhigher will crush the aspirations of hundreds of students to attend university by eliminating funding for trips, mentoring programs, and university visits. Without these opportunities, many students will never consider careers requiring higher education.

1. At the heart of all things local 46pSaturday July 16 2011
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An edition of the Hull Daily Mail
MAI-E01-S2
EXCLUSIVE: Scheme axed despite helping hundreds of poorer students
by Ceriann Rush
news@mailnewsmedia.co.uk
G Continued on page 2
InShort
Aimhigher, a scheme that gives
financial support to students from
low-income families will be scrapped
at the end of the month.
BRIGHT IDEAS: Pupils Jacob Batters, left, and Lewis Harding, from Howden
School, at the Aimhigher event Teentech held at the KC Stadium.
The People’s Voice
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placed today for Gary Penrose, who
has passed away aged 50.
Family announcements - Pages 17-19
INSIDE TODAY
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KIDS ‘ROBBED’
OF CHANCE TO
GETUNIPLACE
STUDENTS from East York-
shire’s most deprived areas
could be robbed of the chance
of university or rewarding
careers by the scrapping of a
Government scheme.
Aimhigher, an initiative provid-
ing financial support for
students from low-income families,
will cease to exist at the end of the
month.
The scheme paid for overseas
school trips, industry
mentoring and visits to Oxbridge in
an attempt to encourage pupils to
aspire to university or apprentice-
ships.
In Hull and East Riding 37 schools
received help from Aimhigher
funding.
And headteachers say it had a
dramatic impact on the youngsters
from poorer backgrounds.
More than 1,400 students from the
region applied to go to university
last year, a rise of more than 66 per
cent since 2003, the year before the
scheme began.
The axing of Aimhigher also
comes as prospective students were
told they face paying £9,000 a year
for tuition fees.
Head teachers fear the removal of
Aimhigher will crush the aspir-
ations of hundreds of young
people.
Emma Woolfall, assistant head
teacher of St Mary’s College, said:
“The end of Aimhigher will have
devastating implications for the
young people of Hull and it breaks
my heart.
“Without the funding, schools like
ours are going to be hit very hard
because it supports so many of our
needy youngsters. The scheme
allowed students to take part in
cultural trips across Europe.
“Many of them had never even
travelled outside of the country
before, making it an invaluable
experience which would not have
been available to them through any
other means.”
A total of 37 schools and colleges
in Hull and the East Riding rely
on their £600,000 share of the
£1.3 million funding for the Humber
to raise career aspirations.
Head teacher Angela Martinson,
of Newland School For Girls, said:
“It’s a tremendous loss, which I
think will have a direct effect on the
students.
“Many of them are brought up
among the third generation of
people in their family that do not
work.
“Kids that would normally never
dream of university come along to
these events and go home inspired
for the first time.
“They mix with other students
and realise that they do have the
ability.
“Without the means to fund these
activities, many youngsters will
never be able to see what’s out
there.”
Mentoring and week-long resid-
ential summer schools allowed
them to realise their potential.
Students who have already
benefited have gone on to become
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