Up to £1,000 a year bursaries for students from South East Asia

27 March 1998

Bursaries of £750 a year are being offered to students from some countries of South East Asia who have received an offer to study for a degree at King's College London. Bursaries of £1,000 a year are available to existing students from these countries returning to study at King's.

The bursaries are intended to assist students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea and Thailand who have been hit by the fall in value of their currencies. Applicants from these countries who have been offered a place to study at King's College London in September this year can apply for a bursary of £750 a year from the College which will help to cover the cost of living in London. There are also deferred payment schemes for students from Brunei, Singapore and Taiwan.

As an alternative to the bursary, students may opt for a package which offers fees fixed at the 1998/9 level (for up to three years); makes it possible to defer payment of part of the fees; spreads payments out through the year, and allows a refund if a student has to withdraw before the end of the first term. In addition to the £1000 bursary, continuing students will also benefit from fixed fees and payment by installments.

There will be no means test: the bursary or other package is available to all students from these countries who accept an offer of a place to study for a degree at King's College London starting in September. The King's College London bursary may also be held in addition to any assistance received from other bodies. A separate package of assistance which holds down fee levels and offers deferred payments is being made available to students from Brunei, Singapore and Taiwan, which have suffered less heavy falls in value in their currency. There are currently nearly 600 students from South East Asia studying at King's.

Professor Arthur Lucas, Principal of King's College London, said: 'We greatly value the contribution students from South East Asia make to life at King's. We have a commitment to our relationship with these countries, and we want to enable the tradition of such students coming to King's College London to continue unbroken. I hope these bursaries and other packages will offer useful assistance to students hard-hit by the fall in value of their currencies.'

All candidates from these countries still holding offers from the College and students who are already at the College will be written to personally informing them of the offer.

In the case of publicly funded students, King's will extend financial aid to their sponsoring bodies.

Students may also telephone 0171-872 3299 or contact the College by email: julie.rolls@kcl.ac.uk