SQE scholarship launched to improve access to the legal profession
updated on 22 October 2021
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Law Training Centre has announced its new Access to Law Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) Scholarship, which will provide an initial 50 learners from all backgrounds with targeted support.
The Access to Law SQE Scholarship highlights Law Training Centre’s commitment to improving social mobility and diversity within the profession as it plans to fund half of the cost of individual student’s tuition fees for its SQE1 preparation course.
The announcement follows the news that tuition fees for Law Training Centre’s comprehensive SQE preparation course will be under £2,000.
The final 50% of tuition fees can be paid in instalments to support individuals facing additional financial barriers.
To be considered for the £1,000 grant, applicants must provide evidence that they face significant barriers that restrict access to a legal education. The qualification criteria for the scholarship includes, but is not limited to:
- individuals with protected characteristics;
- individuals who are underrepresented within the legal profession; and
- individuals from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Applicants’ previous educational or professional dedication and achievement may also be considered as part of the qualification criteria.
Eve Dullabh, Law Training Centre’s director of education said: “For us, social mobility and increasing diversity across the legal profession is more than a trendy catch-line, it was the very reason our business was established, and we continue to stay true to that focus to this day. While many scholarship programmes focus on previous academic excellence, we believe that this could still exclude some of the very people that need the support most. It is for this reason that our programme will be available nationwide, and each application will be assessed on its individual merits.
“We have already helped so many of our learners to enter the profession or further their legal careers and we’re delighted that, through the Access to Law SQE Scholarship, we will be able support even more people to do so”.
Visit the Law Training Centre’s website to find an application guidance document and to apply. Candidates must submit their applications before 31 December 2021 and will be notified of the outcome within 10 working days of their submission.
To find out more about the SQE, visit LawCareers.Net’s SQE Hub.
