Uni head helped by miners' fund opens scholarship
Durham UniversityA university chancellor who credits the start of her academic career to help from a miners' fund has launched a new scholarship programme.
Fiona Hill, the figurehead of Durham University, said she wants to support students from her hometown of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and the wider region, as a way of "giving back" to those who supported her.
She said a £100 grant from the Durham Miners' Association in the early 1980s enabled her to attend a course in Russian, which led to her going on to study at St Andrew's University in Scotland and Harvard University in the USA on a scholarship programme.
"Education is a great equaliser, but only if people have access to it," Dr Hill said.
She added: "Everything that I'm doing in my career is the result of a lot of people helping me along the way, which is why I feel very deeply about helping others to achieve their potential."
The scholarships will support two groups of three eligible students, recruited in 2025 and 2026.
'No quick fix'
They will each receive £5,000 a year for up to four years to study at Durham University.
The scholarship is open to applicants from the North East of England with a household income below £42,875.
Dr Hill, who is the daughter of a coal miner and a midwife, was previously a foreign affairs advisor to US presidents George W Bush, Barack Obama and to Donald Trump during his first term in office.
She is currently a defence advisor to the UK Government.
Dr Hill said finances should not stop those wanting to go to university.
She said: "There is no quick fix to removing entrenched financial barriers.
"If those that are in a position to help do help, then we're making progress."