Our Chancellor and acclaimed foreign affairs specialist, Dr Fiona Hill, is launching a new scholarship scheme to support students from North East England who come from lower income households.
Applicants from Dr Hill’s UK hometown of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, are particularly invited to apply.
The scholarships will support two cohorts of three eligible students, recruited in 2025 and 2026 from North East England.
Each scholar will be awarded £5,000 per year for up to four years of study with us. The scheme is open to applicants from the North East of England with a household income below £42,875.
Dr Hill, a former US presidential advisor, described the scholarships as her way of “giving back” after her own academic journey was kick-started by a £100 grant from the Durham Miners’ Association in the early 1980s.
She said: “If it wasn’t for that money, I would never have been able to afford to go on a course to study Russian, which then led me to studying at university.
“Education is a great equaliser, but only if people have access to it. Scholarships like these can make it more accessible for everyone.”
Dr Hill, who is the daughter of a coal miner and a midwife, has advised US presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump during his first term in office.
She is currently a Defence Advisor to the UK Government.
Charlie Cooper, a fourth year Physics student, has received funding from the Durham Inspired North East scholarship scheme throughout his time at Durham.
Charlie said: “Without the help of the scholarship, I don’t believe my university experience would have been as fulfilling as it could have been.
“As well as a Russian language course, it’s enabled me to sign up for various clubs and societies that interest me and has given me some peace of mind regarding my budget.
“It has afforded me the chance to experience Durham University without the limits of a tight budget and financial stress that could’ve prevented me from getting the most out of my time at Durham.”
The Fiona Hill Scholarship will add to a growing range of scholarships and support we offer.
We recently launched our new Access and Participation Plan which details how we intend to improve equality of opportunity in higher education and make Durham more diverse and inclusive than ever before.
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