Laying the Foundation for Future Champions
The Sir Chris Hoy Sports Scholarship Fund has been created in partnership with the University to support students training for, and competing in, elite sport alongside their degree. Sir Chris Hoy is one of the UK’s most decorated athletes with 11 world championship titles and seven Olympic medals, including six golds. He is also an alum of the University of Edinburgh, graduating from Applied Sports Science in 1999, and is a member of the University’s Sports Hall of Fame. This fund has been created to celebrate and continue the inspirational legacy of Sir Chris Hoy at the University of Edinburgh in an active and impactful way which supports our University’s next best athletes to pursue their goals in academics and sport. We understand that the financial demands of being a student and an elite athlete are challenging. Our average performance athletes incur between £2,500 - £8,000 additional sport related expenses each year. Scholarships alleviate some of these pressures, improving an athlete’s life balance, enhancing academic and athletic performance, and allowing them to pursue more developmental training and competition opportunities.
Edinburgh Sport is committed to allocating £100,000 per year to this fund in its first 5 years, however, we need the support of alumni, friends and supporters of Edinburgh Sport to create real impact from this fund and support the dreams and ambitions of our next best athletes.
Will you support an incredible student athlete today by donating to the Sir Chris Hoy Sports Scholarship Fund?
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Listen to Sir Chris Hoy's hopes for the scholarship
I hope the scholarship will give young students the opportunity to give their all in pursuing their dreams in sport and education.
-Sir Chris Hoy
Support On Offer
Sports Scholarship funding is available in the range of £500 - £10,000, and is allocated by the Sports Scholarship Allocation Committee annually on a case-by-case basis. The level of funding awarded to an athlete is calculated based on a holistic approach, looking at various factors, such as:
- Athlete performance level
- Academic fees
- Financial barriers to performance sport (typically based on referral from senior coaches and governing bodies)
- Relative national and international competition level of the athlete's sport
- Relative cost of the athlete's sport
- Other support available to the athlete through internal and external programmes
In addition to financial support, our scholarship athletes receive top-level sport-specific support at no personal cost, including:
- Strength & Conditioning (including tailored programmes and expert coaching)
- World-class sport-specific coaching
- Facility access
- Branded kit
- Sports Psychology
- Sports Nutrition
- Physiotherapy
- Anti-doping Education
- Academic Flexibility
Eligibility
Applications for the Sir Chris Hoy Sports Scholarship open in August, ahead of each academic year. To be considered for a Sir Chris Hoy Sports Scholarship, applicants must fulfil the following:
- Hold, or be in the process of applying for, a place on an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme at the University
- Currently competing at junior international standard or better in their chosen sport
- Ready to be fully involved in university sport, and in particular British University and College Sport (BUCS) Competition
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