EY to offer Warwick scholarship

Ernst and Young (EY) are to offer Warwick University Accounting and Finance students a new Assurance Scholarship, contributing financial aid for degree study alongside work experience with the company.

EY have created 60 places on the scholarship programme which are to be offered to students from Warwick, Lancaster University and the University of Bath.

The scholarship itself is a highly lucrative offer. Up to £40,000 will be awarded in financial support over a three year degree (£15,000 a year), in addition to the paid summer placement.

An extra £1,000 a year is on offer for students also meeting the criteria for expansion of access to higher education.

In contrast to some scholarships offered to Warwick students, this programme is particularly extensive in what it offers, providing an upfront income for students to as well the promise of work experience with a reputable company.

Professor Mark Taylor, dean of Warwick Business School, commented upon the new programme.

He said: “The EY Assurance Scholarship programme provides not only the kind of financial assistance that will be a valuable spur for aspiring graduates but also a chance to gain experience at one of the world’s major accounting firms.”

Hywell Bell, managing partner at EY, commented: “Employability skills are essential for today’s graduates and work experience is now considered to be prerequisite for many graduate employers.

“Combined with the academic qualifications, skills such as team working, time management and real life client interactions, will help graduates of the EY Assurance Scholarship scheme to stand out in a competitive jobs market.”

Warwick’s Accounting and Finance degree itself, is already a popular degree, even without the introduction of this scholarship.

According to UNISTATS, 93 percent of students on the course are satisfied, with the 2015 Guardian University Guide ranking the department sixth in the UK.

First-year student Fiona Adu remarked: “I’m really enjoying [the course] – it’s hard at times because I’ve never done any accounting or economics before, but what I enjoy most is that the course is really diverse.

“We don’t just do finance: we had to do a Dragons’ Den style project, and are currently undertaking a business law module meaning that we don’t just deal with numbers.”

The new EY Assurance Scholarship programme marks the Business school’s latest asset. Professor Taylor remarked that: “Our BSc Accounting & Finance course is already among the best in the country and this partnership will add something extra.”