Scholarship Details

The Robertson Trust’s Scholarship supports Scottish undergraduates students through funding and the Journey to Success self-development programme. The structure of the scholarship is as follows.

Each year, over 700 young people, known as Robertson scholars, are supported through Journey to Success in a broad range of subjects across Scotland’s universities. Since 1992, the programme has supported over 1,000 young people to overcome financial and social barriers to gain the university education and career they aspire to.

The programme was devised to offer self-development opportunities and financial support to 16-25 year olds in Scotland who face barriers to higher education. The Trust are particularly interested in supporting students from backgrounds currently underrepresented in higher education, including those who are:

• From schools with low progression rates to higher education
• From households with low income  
• Black and Minority Ethnic groups
• Disabled
• Have lived experience of care
• Carers
• Estranged from their family
• Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
• From military families

The programme is aimed at driven young people who are passionate about self-development and collaboration. This could include those who have displayed a proactive attitude to taking on extracurricular activities throughout school, have volunteered in their community or taken part in relevant leadership programmes.

As Journey to Success aims to develop an active network of peer support for Robertson scholars, a commitment to participating in the opportunities available through the programme is key.

Journey to Success offers a range of training sessions and events throughout each academic year designed to support scholars to work towards a career they aspire to. Meanwhile, in recognition of the financial barriers many face to participation in higher education, the programme also offers a bursary of up to £4,250 pa to each scholar.

In addition to financial support, Journey to Success offers scholars a range of self-development opportunities designed to help them fulfill their potential and develop skills needed to reach their career aspirations. Opportunities include: 

• Welcome Event: designed to begin building the peer support networks scholars can benefit from to ease their transition into university and maximise the potential of their degree.  
• Leadership development: encourage second-year Scholars to support their peers throughout the Welcome Event and first year at university.  
• Personal development training sessions: improve the self-awareness needed for university and graduate recruitment success.  
• Career Pathways and Internships: support Scholars to source meaningful work experience, access career awareness-raising activities and make professional contacts.  
• Alumni Network: encourages Scholarship alumni to mentor younger scholars and help build the Journey to Success support network. 

As part of the programme, scholars should complete the induction process (the Welcome Event), attend two self-development workshops each year, and share a short written report describing how they are progressing through university at the end of each academic term.  

Criteria For Applicants

• 16-25 year old on course start date;
• Current offer holder for undergraduate study at Edinburgh Napier University starting September 2021;
• Clear indication of financial need i.e. evidence of low income, receipt of EMA/Free School Meals, entitlement to maximum amount of SAAS; 
• Evidence of socio-economic challenges or care experience impacting on education; 
• Resident in Scotland at time of application; 
• ‘Leave to remain’ within the UK; 
• Only first degrees with evidence of a university offer can be considered.

Further information on the Robertson Trust's criteria and desired characteristics are available on the Trust website.

Application Process

Applications for the 2023-24 Robertson Trust Scholarship nominations from Edinburgh Napier are now closed.

Please contact findafund@napier.ac.uk if you have any questions about the Robertson Trust Scholarship and the application process.