The British grime
artist claims the university turned down his scholarship idea, which was then taken up by the University of Cambridge.
Oxford said it had
spoken with Stormzy’s management and clarified it is keen to work with him “on
inspiring more young people to study” at the university.
In a statement on
Twitter, Oxford said: “We have not received or turned down a proposal for
student support from Stormzy and have been speaking to his team this morning to
establish what happened.
“We recognise the
importance of Stormzy’s support and share his ambition in encouraging more black
students to take up university education.”
We have spoken with
Stormzy’s management and clarified we are keen to work with him further,
whether this is through @OxfordACS or the University directly, on
inspiring more young people to study at Oxford.
There has been no
public response to Oxford’s denial from Stormzy.
The 25-year-old
musician was speaking at an event for his new publishing platform #Merky Books
when he reportedly said he approached Oxford about his scholarship offer but
was rejected.
Stormy announced the
scheme earlier this year on A-level results day at his old school, Harris City
Academy, in Croydon, south London.
It aims to encourage
the admission of more black students to top universities, after none got into
some Cambridge University colleges between 2012 and 2016.
Two Cambridge
students this year and two next year will have their fees paid for by the
scholarship.
Announcing his
scholarship, Stormzy said: “If you’re academically brilliant, don’t think
because you come from a certain community that studying at one of the highest
education institutions in the world isn’t possible.
“I was always
reminded by my teachers that I was destined, if I wanted, to go down that road
and study at one of the top universities.”
Credit: Skynews
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