Bayes launches new scholarship programme for black British undergraduate students

Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) has launched its Black Student Scholarship Programme, aimed at achieving greater racial diversity in both Higher Education and in business.

The ten-year programme will award ten scholarships per year to UK-domiciled students of black ethnicity from lower-than-average income households.

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at home-fee level along with a £6,000 annual stipend for three years of undergraduate studies at Bayes. Each scholar will also receive mentoring support from 2^nd or 3^rd year students on the pioneering Bayes Mentoring and Coaching for Leadership module.

The total cost of the programme is approximately £5 million, equal to the amount the Business School received from the Sir John Cass Foundation (now renamed as The Portal Trust) when it became Cass Business School in 2001.

In light of the decision to change its name due to Sir John Cass’s historic links to the slave trade, the School decided that the entirety of this donation should be spent on supporting the young people most affected by his legacy. The Bayes Business School Black Student Scholarship Programme is therefore in line with the reparation recommendations set out in City, University of London’s Review of Historic Sources of Funding from 2020.

To be eligible to apply for the Scholarship, students must satisfy the conditions for ‘home fee’ status, be of black ethnicity and come from a household with an annual net income of £30,000 or less. Applicants must also satisfy Bayes Business School’s offer condition for the chosen course.

For the 2022/23 intake, candidates will need to apply to UCAS to study an undergraduate degree at Bayes before Wednesday 26^th January 2022, and must submit their application for the Scholarship by Sunday 13^th February 2022.

Professor Caroline Wiertz, Deputy Dean at Bayes Business School, said:

“Since we first embarked on the process to find a new name for our business school, we have always said we are committed to backing up our words with actions to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Bayes.

“The Bayes Business School Black Student Scholarship programme underpins a strong desire to widen participation and increase minority representation among our student base. I believe it is an excellent starting point that we can be very proud of, but at the same time it is just a starting point. We still have a lot more work to do.”

Professor Lilian M. de Menezes, Co-Director for Racial Equity and Inclusion and Professor of Decision Sciences at Bayes Business School, said:

“There is significant ongoing work towards widening our curriculum at Bayes, such as engaging with local schools and developing a series of initiatives, which is all geared for building an inclusive community. Recruiting students more widely is another step in this positive direction.

“The Bayes Business School Black Student Scholarship will facilitate access to globally-renowned business school degrees and world-leading academic experts. Unlike many scholarships, a stipend and support system are also included, so scholars will be able to make the most of their time at Bayes.”

Applications for the 2022/23 Bayes Business School Black Student Scholarship are now open.

Find out more about the Bayes Business School Black Student Scholarship programme and how to apply.

Read and download City, University of London’s Historic Sources of Funding Review.