Meet the first students selected for social housing university scholarships

Eight social housing customers have received scholarships through the new Social Housing Scholarship Programme.

We’re pleased to be supporting the programme, which will give each student £18,000 over their three years at university, alongside mentoring, professional development, work experience and a paid internship. It means they’ll have more freedom to focus on their studies, make the most of university life and graduate with practical experience. 

They will study subjects ranging from engineering and real estate to politics, economics and management at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Loughborough, Bristol, Kingston and the London School of Economics. 

We’re pleased to share that two Hyde customers will be receiving the scholarship.

Lamin Savage will study Politics at the London School of Economics, with an ambition to shape better policy and make sure communities like theirs have a stronger voice in the decisions that affect them.  

Sara Alishat will study Law at Queen Mary University of London, with an ambition to specialise in tax law so she can help people and businesses navigate complex issues fairly. She wants to encourage young people from similar backgrounds to pursue careers in law. 

Hyde’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Andy Hulme, said: 

“Where someone lives or how much money they have shouldn’t decide how far their talent can take them.  

“As housing providers, we see ambition and potential in our communities every day. By coming together, we can help open doors that may otherwise feel out of reach and give people the chance to show what they can do. 

“We’re looking forward to seeing where this opportunity takes all the students, particularly Lamin and Sara, and to celebrating what they achieve along the way.” 

Led by Clarion Futures and managed by Blackbullion, the programme received 316 applications in its first year, with eight scholars selected. It’s supported by Hyde and five other housing associations, with funding from the Fusion21 Foundation.

We’ll share more from our students as they settle into university and make the most of the opportunities the scholarship will provide. 

If you live in social housing and are planning to start university in September 2027, you can register your interest in next year’s scholarships.