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Ensuring that finances are never a barrier to learning
We are committed to ensuring that a lack of financial resources do not prevent a student from applying to and thriving at the House.
Our ambition is that Christ Church should be the home of choice for the brightest and most ambitious students from all backgrounds. We believe that a diverse student population is the best student population, that diversity in itself is a rich source of learning, and that finances should never be a barrier to learning.
A hallmark of alumni giving at Christ Church has been the continuity of Student Support. Donations towards helping students during their time at the House – and thereby making the most of the many opportunities that we are able to offer – have led the way in the collegiate university. In fact, the House spends more on Student Support and on access and outreach activities than any other college.
Thanks to the generosity of over 568 donors, in 2022/23 we were able to provide:
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Subsidies for 111 students worth up to 50% of the cost of college accommodation and food;
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167 academic grants for students to purchase course-related books, e-books, apps, or software which are essential to their work;
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16 Summer Bursaries for low- or medium- income students undertaking an internship, lab placement, or academic course to give them the best possible start to their post-Christ Church careers;
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Over 6,500 interactions in Christ Church's Access & Outreach programmes.
Christ Church's Access & Outreach Schemes
CHRIST CHURCH HORIZONS
Run by our Schools Liaison Officer with the support of Fellows and JRFs, Christ Church Horizons is a comprehensive program that develops the skills which students need when applying to and succeeding at university. Following a successful pilot in 2018, Horizons is now in its fourth year helping students from North London.
The three strands of the Horizons programme are estimated to cost £17,000 in 2022-2023.
“Before I came on the programme I thought that Oxford was way out of my reach but the programme made me rethink. Now I am seriously considering to apply to Oxford University and I just want to thank you for that. Horizons programme did not only expand my understanding of different subjects but helped me understand more about university and the application process. It was a pleasure to be part of this course and I hope it would be continued throughout the years.” – Horizons participant
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AIM FOR OXFORD
Our access work has been expanded to the North-East of England through the Aim for Oxford scheme, joint with St Anne’s. Participants are given the opportunity to explore beyond the curriculum and to develop key skills required to not only make competitive applications, but to thrive once at University. Both programmes include academic sessions, complemented by information, advice, and guidance sessions, from ‘How to explore beyond the curriculum’, to ‘Finance at University’, personal statements and essay writing workshops.
21 Aim for Oxford participants applied to Oxford, 6 of whom chose Christ Church. Of the 21 applicants, 11 were shortlisted and seven gained Oxford offers. In total, 52 students from state schools in the North East gained Oxford offers in the 2021 UCAS cycle.
£10,000 would cover Christ Church’s share of the two-year Aim for Oxford programme’s cost.
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READY SET CODE
ReadySetCode is a sustained engagement programme led by Oxford’s Computer Science Department and Christ Church for black and mixed-black women which helps students explore the world of Computer Science and hopes to inspire them to continue their engagement with the subject.
With AI playing an increasing role in our lives, it is more important than ever that the developers behind key software are from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. ReadySetCode aims to improve access to the Computer Science for black women, who are significantly under-represented in the British IT workforce according to a 2022 report from leading industry groups.
The programme consists of monthly online sessions, akin to the Oxford teaching methods with pre-reading, activities, and tutorial sheets designed to focus on Maths development. The students will be grouped in tutorial-like groups, which will enable an interactive format for the sessions and foster a positive community. Their ‘graduation day’ will include both academic and pastoral elements, with Computer Science taster sessions and workshops, as well as talks with current student and a session for parents and carers, to encourage continued and long-term engagement with Maths and Computer Science.
The cost to run the full ReadySetCode programme annually is £9,000.
Amidst a rising cost of living, and changes to fees and government funding, it is vital that we can answer the growing demand for bursaries, subsidies, and grants available to our students, and to make sure that no prospective applicant is deterred by financial concerns.
By donating, you can help ensure that students following in your footsteps experience all that the House has to offer, regardless of their financial situation.
