The program, which has awarded over £1.25m of funding to 90 women since its launch in 2021, will this year see 15 recipients each receive a financial support package of up to £20,000 from Amazon.
Recipients will each receive £5,000 annually for up to four years to support their university-related expenses, including tuition, accommodation, and living costs. Alongside this financial support, awardees will also benefit from a comprehensive package that includes mentorship from Amazon employees to enhance their professional growth, provide networking opportunities, and the transition into employment.
This year’s cohort includes Zoriana Aleyeva, a student who fled to Birmingham with her family following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and has recently started a computer science degree at Warwick University, and Anurati Panchkoty, whose parents came to the UK from Nepal and who is passionate about the prospect of AI benefiting the health sector in the future.
The scholarship was established to help address the underrepresentation of women studying computer science and engineering at UK universities. The latest data from the Office for Students shows a significant gender imbalance of students enrolling in STEM subjects, with over 80 per cent of undergraduate entrants for engineering, technology and computing courses being men.
According to UCAS, 27,600 students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled at university in 2024, seven per cent higher than last year. However, the difference in entry rates between the most disadvantaged and the least disadvantaged students remains at 22 percentage points meaning that the most disadvantaged students remain far less likely to enter higher education than their more affluent peers.
Commenting on this year’s recipients Lauren Kisser, ambassador for Amazon Future Engineer said: “Exceptional talent can be found right across the UK, but the tech sector risks a lack of diversity of thought if we don’t step up efforts to support students from diverse backgrounds into STEM subjects. …I’m delighted that we will support our scholarship recipients on their journey to become the innovators of the future, shaping a more equitable, sustainable future.”
Lynda Mann, head of education programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering, added: “We are very pleased to continue partnering with Amazon on this important positive action initiative… Evidence suggests the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships are having a real and positive impact on recipients, both in terms of their experience at university and their progression into careers in engineering and computing.”
Scholarship applications for the 2025/26 academic year open on 18th November, and will close on 13th May 2025. Click here to find out more.
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