The scheme offers fully funded tuition fees, living expenses, mentoring and work placements at the Guardian, with the opportunity for a fixed term contract at the Guardian starting after graduation.

Many recipients have gone on to successful careers in the industry, working for news outlets such as the Guardian, BBC, New York Times, Financial Times and the Mirror. The scheme's alumni includes Gary Younge, Samira Ahmed, Tariq Panja, Simon Murphy, Pippa Crerar, Lanre Bakare and more.

With its expansion, the scheme will become the only one in the UK to offer the combination of a full MA bursary, living allowance and work placements specifically for people of African and/or Caribbean descent, including mixed backgrounds.

The Scott Trust Bursary is a key part of The Guardian Foundation’s work to facilitate voice and agency with those who face barriers entering careers in journalism and aligns to the University’s commitment to advance and promote equity and social justice. 

Andrew Glover, Programme Leader for MA Journalism at Leeds Trinity, said: “This new partnership with The Guardian Foundation and Scott Trust Bursary Scheme is terrific news for Leeds Trinity University.

“The additional bursary place will offer new opportunities for Black aspiring journalists in Leeds, while the wider scheme supports the University’s broader work on equity and inclusion by helping to develop more representative newsrooms and greater diversity in the journalism industry.

“We join an elite group of universities chosen to work with the Foundation and I look forward to welcoming the successful student on to our MA Journalism programme in September.” 

Kelly Walls, Executive Director, The Guardian Foundation, said: “We know that the proportion of Black journalists in UK newsrooms is not reflective of society. When last researched it was just 0.2% compared with 3% of the UK population at the time. Sample sizes in more recent studies have been too small to break out specific race and ethnicity data, which tells its own story.

“Great journalism should include diverse perspectives, from a range of sources, to enable informed decision-making. To do this effectively, the barriers to entry must be broken and the industry must recognise that more inclusive and representative news organisations create better journalism and engage wider audiences.

“Our bursaries have contributed to the success of many brilliant journalists over the years and their reporting has made a genuine impact. Doubling the number of opportunities in the UK, focusing on Black students and universities outside of London, as well as launching similar schemes in the US and Australia is such a positive and exciting step forward. I look forward to seeing the new talent coming through.”

The Scott Trust Bursary scheme has assisted students who come from backgrounds underrepresented in the media for 35 years.

Applications for the Scott Trust Bursary open on 29 March 2023. More information can be found on The Guardian Foundation’s website.

More information about the MA Journalism programme at Leeds Trinity can be found on the University's website.