University offers bursary for female tech students

Young women who are interested in computer science can apply for a bursary worth 12,000 to study the subject at Nottingham Trent University.

The fund was set up by Jigsaw24, a leading B2B technology solutions provider, to create opportunities for girls from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds.

The company hopes the bursary will counter gender imbalances in the IT industry, with recent research highlighting that while 49% of UK workers are female, only 19% of those in technology are women.

The bursary will be applicable to students starting in September this year, and covers the university’s BSc Computer Science FT/SW, BSc Computer Science (Games Technology) FT/SW, and BSc Software Engineering FT/SW undergraduate courses. It will provide £3,000 per year over four years of study (including a placement year) and will be funded entirely by Jigsaw24.

Roger Whittle, CEO at Nottingham-based Jigsaw24, said: “Women play valuable roles in our company and in technology more widely, yet representation remains low, especially in technical, sales and leadership positions.

“The IT industry is for everyone, and people of all backgrounds should have the chance to break into it.

“We know that sponsoring a single student is not going to solve the inequalities in our industry, but introducing this unique bursary is a positive step in the right direction.”

Kayleigh Glasper, Head of Philanthropy at Nottingham Trent University, said: “We are delighted to have created this bursary with Jigsaw24, to support a talented female undergraduate studying in the field of computer science. This provides an exciting opportunity and we are very grateful to Jigsaw24 for their generosity.”

To be considered for the Jigsaw24 Bursary in Computer Science, applicants need to be female and from the UK for fee-paying purposes, have a household income of less than £25,000 per annum, and have been offered a place to enrol on a relevant Nottingham Trent University course in September 2021.