Chancellor launches Oxford Opportunity Bursaries campaign

7 March 2005

Oxford University’s Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes, will today launch Oxford’s first national advertising campaign telling potential applicants that ‘It’s not what’s in your pocket, it’s what’s in your head’ that counts.

Starting this week, the University will be using advertising bicycles, as well as billboards, collectable postcards, adverts in national newspapers, on buses and on internet sites, to promote the financial package which will be available to eligible UK students applying this year for entry in 2006 or later.

The Oxford Opportunity Bursaries, worth up to £10,000 over three years or £13,000 over four years, will ensure that students from families with low incomes, who will also be receiving statutory Government grants, can meet their entire basic living costs during term-time. The series of adverts, posters and postcards will encourage students to find out more about the financial support available to eligible UK undergraduates from 2006 via the www.OxfordOpportunity.com website, or by phoning the 0845 123 67 68 local rate admissions advice line.

Adverts will be appearing a number of national newspapers – including The Guardian, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail– on Tuesday 8 March. Outdoor posters will be displayed at sites in towns and cities including Sunderland, Middlesborough, Bradford, Hull, Wakefield, Leicester, Nottingham, Liverpool, Rochdale and Bolton. From April panels will be displayed in 2,000 buses across the North East, Yorkshire, the Midlands, the North West and London.

The Chancellor, Lord Patten, said: ‘This major advertising drive shows just how committed we are to taking our message that Oxford wants the very best students to apply – no matter where they come from or what their background is – directly to young people, their teachers and families. Anyone who thinks they could get into Oxford, but has concerns that they can’t afford it, should get in touch with us to see if they could qualify for an Oxford Opportunity Bursary.’

Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr John Hood, added: ‘We know that there are many talented students across the UK who are put off applying because they think they can’t afford to study at Oxford, or that Oxford isn’t for people from their school or town. These are myths we are trying hard to set straight through our vigorous programme of outreach activity. As our ‘Mind over matter’ advert makes clear, a student’s mind is what we’re really interested in, and we hope that more students contact us for additional information.’

The Chancellor, along with current Oxford undergraduates, will officially launch the Oxford Opportunity Bursaries advertising campaign with an ad bike displaying one of the posters by the main entrance to the Bodleian Library, Catte Street, Oxford, at 1.15pm on Monday 7 March. The Chancellor and students will available for photos and interviews until 2pm.

Photographs of Lord Patten and Oxford students at the launch event are available to media, free of charge, from the University’s Press Office on 01865 280528.
Images from the advertising campaign for reproduction can be downloaded from www.admin.ox.ac.uk/po/oob/ crediting Oxford University. General information about the Oxford Opportunity Bursaries is available at www.OxfordOpportunity.com

Notes to Editors:

• Adverts will appear in a number of national newspapers and on internet sites including Hotmail, Lycos, and Times Online from Tuesday 8 March. Six-sheet posters will be displayed on 115 outdoor poster sites at schools and on school routes in the North East, Yorkshire, the Midlands and the North West during March, with further advertising in April. A3 posters will be sent to every school/college with a sixth form in the UK. A total of 400,000 Oxford Opportunity Bursary postcards will be available at all Oxford outreach events, and will be available at schools in the main advertising regions.
• Oxford selected brand communications agency 23red to create and implement the integrated campaign. 23red has extensive experience in the education sector, and of working with brands targeting young people.
• This week Oxford is joining forces with Cambridge University for a national admissions roadshow. The Oxbridge Student Conferences will take place at Manchester United (7 March), Leicester City (8 March), Cheltenham Racecourse (10 March), and Newcastle United (14 March). Almost 2,000 students are expected to attend each conference, which will give students information on courses available, admissions interviews, student finance, and undergraduate life.
• On average, Oxford holds at least one access activity every working day of the year. The University and colleges hold a range of open events, aspiration days for pupils aged 13-16, summer schools and shadowing schemes, and projects aimed directly at teachers throughout the year.
• Bursaries will be provided from 2006 onwards for British students with residual household incomes of around £33,500 or under. The expected bursary bands are:

• Oxford’s Undergraduate Prospectus for 2006-07 is published this week, along with a new booklet, Getting Ahead, which contains information about how much it costs to live and study at Oxford, and provides details about the range of financial support available to undergraduates.
• The Oxford Opportunity Bursaries are available to UK students only, and are subject to approval by the Office for Fair Access.