Foxes and University of Leicester offer £5,000 study scholarships to those in county’s most deprived areas
The University of Leicester and Leicester City Football Club are offering £5,000 scholarships to encourage school and college leavers in the region’s most deprived areas to pursue higher education.
Five Leicester City Football Club Scholarships are up for grabs for home applicants who live in a number of areas across the county, including, for example, parts of Coalville and Hinckley, plus city of Leicester locations including New Parks and Beaumont Leys.
The scholarship was launched as part of the commitment from City owners, King Power, and the University, to ensure young people in Leicester have access to higher education and other opportunities irrespective of their socio-economic background.
The University and Foxes have been collaborating to provide opportunities to children and young people since the launch of the Leicester City Football Club Children’s Health Partnership, in 2018.
Leicester City Chief Executive, Kevin Davies, said: “We are proud to support opportunities that can make a real difference for young people across our city and county. Through this collaboration with the University of Leicester, we want to help remove some of the barriers that can stand in the way of higher education and support talented local students to take the next step in their journey. This scholarship reflects our commitment, and that of King Power, to investing in the communities we are proud to represent.”
Professor Sir Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working with Leicester City Football Club to break down the barriers to education and opportunity.
“Social mobility and inclusion are priorities that are especially urgent in Leicester, the UK’s first ‘superdiverse’ city, and at our University, where many come from low-income households. In awarding us the title of 2025 Daily Mail University of the Year, judges were particularly impressed by the University’s social mobility initiatives and programmes to support underrepresented students into higher education.
“The legacy of the University of Leicester is that it is founded on a spirit of hope – to use the power of higher education to benefit others. To create a fairer, more equal society and to empower its community of students, staff and alumni to become Citizens of Change. These scholarships strengthen that legacy as we make higher education accessible for those living on our doorstep.”
In addition to the £5,000 of support, each successful applicant will receive a boost to their CVs thanks to their association with the football club. Opportunities with the Foxes could include the chance to take part in LCFC community initiatives and invitations to events at the King Power Stadium.
The scholarship scheme was officially launched at Leicester’s training complex, in Seagrave, on Tuesday 17 March.
First team players Bade Aluko, Luke Thomas, and Louis Page were joined at the event by students from WQE and the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education, Linda Ralphs.
Paul Wilson, Principal of WQE College, many of whose students will be eligible to apply for the scholarship said: “I am immensely proud that our former students were among the founders of Leicester Fosse in 1884. That legacy created Leicester City Football Club and l am delighted that today the Club is supporting the aspirations of local young people, including eligible students from WQE, through this scholarship.”
The deadline to apply for one of these scholarships is Thursday 14 May 2026, with each student starting their studies at the University of Leicester in September.
Before applying, applicants must check if they live in a qualifying geographical area, known as IMD Q1 or IMD Q2. They can find out if they live in a qualifying area by running their postcode through the UK government’s online tool – find out how to use it on the University of Leicester website.