Cowrie Scholarship Foundation

The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, established in 2020 by Professor Richard OC Oreffo, is a UK charity dedicated to dismantling financial barriers to higher education for economically disadvantaged Black British students of African and Caribbean heritage. Inspired by the founder's University of Liverpool roots, its mission is to fund 100 undergraduates over a decade through partnerships with leading UK universities, promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion to ensure race and class do not limit academic opportunity. It delivers transformative full scholarships covering home tuition fees, generous maintenance stipends (£8,000–£10,000 annually), and bespoke mentoring, spanning all disciplines and fostering scholars' personal development, academic merit, and community impact.

Funding targets UK home-status first-year undergraduates identifying as Black African, Black Caribbean, Mixed Black heritage, or other Black backgrounds, with household incomes ≤£25,000, who have secured full government student finance. Scholarships support students at partner institutions like University of Liverpool, SOAS, Newcastle, and Lancaster, prioritizing those facing the greatest socioeconomic disadvantage for systemic change in access and representation.

Grants, typically £30,000–£35,000 per scholar for the full degree duration, are awarded exclusively via university partners—no unsolicited applications from individuals, charities, or non-partners are accepted. Each university manages its own process, with application windows opening in spring and deadlines from late April to late September (e.g., York and SOAS: 30 April 2025). Decisions occur June–September.

Distinctively partnership-driven, Cowrie rejects project, capital, or unrestricted funding, focusing solely on comprehensive packages for Black British undergraduates. As a CIO (charity no. 1191471) governed by sector leaders like David Olusoga, it stands out for its targeted, values-led approach to racial and class equity in UK higher education.