Toptask invests a percentage of its proceeds into a scholarship programme that gives young people from all backgrounds the chance to attend university.

Scholarship Programme

About the Scholarship

Students awarded a Toptasker Scholarship will receive:

Year 1: £1,000
Year 2 to 4: £1,000 for a 2.1 or better, and £750 for a 2.2 or less.

Toptasker ambassador role

Toptasker Scholars are expected to become Ambassadors of the brand. This includes becoming a member of Toptask, representing Toptask at external events, providing stories & feedback of their personal Toptask experiences.

Background

People born into low-income families, regardless of their talent, or their hard work, do not have the same access to opportunities as those born into more privileged circumstances.

Where you're from should not determine where you're going. However, in the UK today the data tells a different story:

By the age of three, poorer children are estimated to be, on average, nine months behind children from wealthier backgrounds.

By 16, children receiving free school meals achieve 1.7 grades lower at GCSE.

30 per cent of all A* grades at A level are achieved by children at independent schools, yet only 7 per cent of the school population attend independent schools.

32% of MPs, 51% of top Medics, 54% of FTSE-100 chief execs, 54% of top journalists and 70% of High Court judges went to an independent school, compared to 7% of the population.

Scholarship

The Toptasker Scholarship will initially support two students who will begin their first year of studies at a London university in September/October 2017. The programme is specifically aimed at motivating students from less privileged backgrounds. Toptask Scholars will receive £1,000 a year during their undergraduate degree course. In return Scholars will become Toptask Ambassadors, supporting Toptask at events and by providing blogs and sharing their experience online.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Toptasker Scholarship students must meet the following academic and background criteria:

Have achieved or be predicted to achieve at least ABB at A-Level;

Have a confirmed place as an undergraduate at a London University starting their 1st year of studies in September/October 2017;

Be currently or previously eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). This must be confirmed by a teacher at their former secondary school or college. It doesn’t matter if they don’t claim FSM as long as their household income is below the £16,190 threshold; OR

Be in the first generation of their family to attend university and attend or previously attended a school with 30% or more of students known to be eligible for FSM.*

(A complete list of Schools with 30% or more FSM is available on the Social Mobility Foundation website).

Children in care will automatically meet our socio-economic criteria.

Application process

Eligible students should complete an online application form. This will include details of which school they attended and which university they are about to attend. As part of the application, we will require the student to answer questions about extra-curricular activities, work experience etc. There will be no right or wrong answers, but it will allow us to form a picture of how they spend their time outside of school and their interest in their chosen subject.

We will also require the student to supply the name and contact details for a teacher who we can approach for confirmation of eligibility and a reference/recommendation.

Depending on the number and quality of applications received, Toptask reserves the right to shortlist the most suitable applicants and invite them for a personal interview, from which the two scholars with then be selected.