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University Chancellor scholarships add up
Sir Bob, who was installed as Chancellor of the University during an official ceremony held in January, will donate a total of £30,000 over the course of six years, awarding five £1,000 scholarships a year to first year undergraduate students.
Speaking about the scholarships, Sir Bob said: "I feel honoured to be the Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University and am a strong advocate of the power of education to transform the lives of people from all sectors of society.
"My own personal experience is very apt. I finally woke up to the value of education at 16 after I had left school with just one O-level and it took me another ten years to finally qualify as an Accountant and graduate from here.
"I didn't get the opportunity to progress straight to University and know it can be difficult for a lot of students and their families. I would like to demonstrate my belief in and commitment to the University by extending a helping hand to some students during my Chancellorship.
"This University has great vision, values and state-of-the-art facilities. More importantly it gets the results that matter for students today with over 90% of graduates in work, further study or both within six months of leaving University.
"I have spent most of my business career in Yorkshire and the North of England and am delighted to be able to help some young people take the first steps in their career."
Professor Susan Price, Vice Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan, added: "We are delighted that we could work with Sir Bob to create scholarships which matched the areas about which he is passionate. We are particularly grateful that, as our Chancellor, alumnus and honorary graduate, he is able to give something back to his university by way of making such a significant contribution to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These scholarships will make a huge difference to hard working and talented students by helping them cover the costs of living and studying at university."
Sir Bob's links with the university go back to 1969 when he moved to Yorkshire to study accountancy part-time at the university's predecessor institution, Leeds Polytechnic. Some years later, in 2008, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration by Leeds Metropolitan for his contribution to business and sport.
An official ceremony was held in January to officially install Sir Bob as Chancellor.
The scholarships will be available to students on courses in Accounting and Finance-related subjects, from the North of England and from low income families earning less than £25,000 per year.
The generosity of over 900 alumni and friends of the University means that Leeds Met can provide £180,000 worth of bursaries for students from low-income families over the next five years. Scholarships and bursaries at Leeds Metropolitan support students in a wide range of academic areas and some of them are specifically targeted at students from the Leeds area or at athletes who have the potential to represent Great Britain.