Outstanding students receive OCR bursaries for Cambridge University

Nine exceptional students from across the West Midlands have been awarded OCR bursaries towards their studies at the University of Cambridge.

Having completed their A Levels at schools and colleges in Alcester, Birmingham, Hereford, Rugby, West Bromwich and Wolverhampton, the students were presented with their bursary awards on 25 September at OCR’s Coventry offices.

Liam Sammon, OCR’s Director of Education and Commercial Services, congratulated the bursary winners. He was joined by Simon Lebus (pictured second from left with the bursary recipients), Chair of OCR and Chief Executive of OCR’s parent organisation, Cambridge Assessment, to present the awards. Liam stated: “We are once again thrilled by the rich pool of highly talented and conscientious students across the West Midlands. They are worthy winners of OCR bursaries not only because of their academic achievement and potential but because of their positive impact on others. Attending the University of Cambridge is a fantastic achievement and we hope these bursaries will enable them to flourish in their next steps with less financial pressure.”

Recipients of the OCR bursaries receive £3,000 for each year of their undergraduate studies which they can use for living or tuition costs, or a combination of both. The award fund, which arises from OCR’s historical association with the West Midlands Exam Board, enables talented students in the region to make the most of their studies at the University of Cambridge. This is the 12th year that OCR has funded the bursary scheme. The talented students will be studying a range of subjects including Natural Sciences, Medicine, Economics and Modern and Medieval Languages.

Barney Fidler (third from right), from Alcester Grammar School will be studying Natural Sciences at Christ’s College. He said: "I’m hugely excited to go to the University of Cambridge and will never forget how happy I was when I received my results.  However, the debt that comes with higher education was a concern for me. Having access to this financial support means I can get the most out of my time at university without the burden of debt being even greater. I am really grateful to OCR for the opportunity it has given me.”