Pilot Digital Equity Fund for students to be launched in December
27 Nov 2024
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new pilot Digital Equity Fund for students in December 2024.
In June 2024, Senate endorsed the Digital Equity Charter, which is co-owned by the University and the University of Manchester Students’ Union. The Charter establishes the University's commitment to ensuring that all of our students have access to the development opportunities, hardware, software, connectivity and study spaces they need to effectively engage with their teaching, learning and student experience.
Following the Charter’s introduction across the University, we are now pleased to announce the launch of a new, pilot Digital Equity Fund in December 2024. With thanks to the Manchester Access and Success Fund, £100 000 has been awarded to the Access and Success Team to implement a pilot scheme, providing laptop vouchers worth £250 each for students to use with our IT partner Stone. The scheme is open to students from priority communities in their first year of study at the University of Manchester.
Professor April McMahon, Vice-President Teaching, Learning and Students said, “Our students want and need access to their learning wherever and whenever suit them, and the Digital Equity Fund is an important step towards making this possible for every student.”
Dr Simon Merrywest, Director for the Student Experience said, “Given the strong history within our University of supporting equality of access to education, and during a period in which the move towards blended learning and assessment has quickened, this new initiative, which directly targets the ambitions within our Digital Equity Charter, is both very timely and incredibly welcome”.
Eligibility
Eligible students will receive communication either directly or via relevant networks about the scheme. The eligibility criteria and key dates are provided below to support staff in addressing student queries.
The scheme is open to Year 0 and Year 1 students, who meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Recipients of the Manchester Bursary
- Care leavers, Care experienced and Estranged students
- Students with dependents
- Article 26 scholarship recipients
Applications will open on Monday 2nd December and close on Sunday 2nd February.
The pilot represents an important step in progressing the inclusivity of our teaching, learning and student experience, through the pilot and its implementation, we intend to build evidence to support another bid to continue and hopefully expand the scheme for 2025/26.
Further information
If you have any queries, please contact UAS@manchester.ac.uk