The Hg Foundation is partnering with us to launch a new Computer Science Scholars programme, based on our successful existing Scholars Programme. The £500,000 partnership will support more than 500 female and non-binary students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue and succeed in Computer Science degrees.
At present, only 20% of UK Computing undergraduates are female, and men are four times more likely than women to apply for Computer Science degrees. This new partnership will help address the dual challenge of low numbers of women progressing to Computer Science degrees and higher dropout rates for female computing students when they reach university.
We work with less advantaged students from non-selective state schools across the UK and have supported over 150,000 students since 2011 through our flagship Scholars Programme, which pairs PhD tutors with small groups of school and college students to deliver university-style learning. Independent evaluations have shown that Scholars Programme graduates are significantly more likely to progress to competitive universities compared to peers from similar backgrounds and with similar levels of achievement.
The Computer Science Scholars programme will provide specialised interventions to Year 12 and 13 students studying A Level Mathematics and/or Computer Science. It will provide participants the opportunity to explore advanced Computer Science concepts beyond the school curriculum, supported by their PhD tutors. The programme will guide students through their university applications and provide ongoing assistance to participants who progress to Computer Science degrees, addressing the challenges that female students from disadvantaged backgrounds face in their first year at university. Over 60 Computer Science PhD tutors will be mobilised across the three years to deliver the programme, which launches in November 2025.
The Computer Science Scholars Programme is one of two projects supported through the Foundation’s open funding round launched in late 2024.
Susie Whigham, Interim CEO of The Brilliant Club, said: “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with The Hg Foundation on this bespoke iteration of our flagship programme, The Computer Science Scholars Programme. Over the next three years, the programme will address many of the significant barriers facing female and non-binary students from less advantaged backgrounds accessing and succeeding at Computer Science degrees. We’re looking forward to getting the programme underway and starting to make an impact.”
James Turner, CEO of The Hg Foundation said: “Computing degrees are one of the surest routes into the tech sector, where women remain hugely underrepresented, especially at higher levels. Supporting more young women when they are at school to progress to computing at university, and then helping them succeed in their degrees once there, is key to addressing that imbalance and nurturing the next generation of female tech leaders.”
The Hg Foundation’s vision is that the tech workforce of the future harnesses the talents of all, regardless of background. It supports education and employment programmes across the UK, USA, and Europe, aiming to demonstrate measurable, long-term, scalable impact. To date, it has committed $40m to programmes reaching over 70,000 individuals from under-represented backgrounds. The Foundation’s work is funded by Hg – a leading investor in European and transatlantic software and services businesses. The Hg Foundation is registered Charity no. 1189216.
Find out more at thehgfoundation.com
Founded in 2011, The Brilliant Club is a charity that works with less advantaged students from non-selective state schools, helping them to access the most competitive universities. They work with students from primary school through to undergraduate level, with the majority of the charity’s work focused on secondary school-aged students.
Find out more on our website.