Scholarship keeps student in the black
Firm step in to reduce financial pressure on Robbie
A promising 18 year-old accountancy student from Perthshire has been offered a scholarship worth £5000.
First year Abertay University student Robbie Pol will receive the scholarship offered by Tayside accountancy firm, Murray Taylor.
Robbie started at Abertay in September after leaving Blairgowrie High School and is doing a BA (Honours) in Accounting and Finance.
The Murray Taylor scholarship will pay £1250 for each year of his studies and he will also complete two weeks’ unpaid work placement with the firm in the summer holidays.
Applicants had to write a piece on why they had the academic, motivational and economic requirements before facing a panel interview.
Robbie, from Blairgowrie,
Robbie Pol with lecturer Helen Smith, left, and Louise Sim of Murray Taylor was picked after showing the desire to forge a career in the accountancy field, despite financial pressures.
In his application, Robbie spoke of how his decision not to take a student loan had resulted in his having to work long hours on top of his studying commitments.
It has meant he’s working as much as 45-hours-a-week to cover expenses like travelling to and from the Dundee university.
He will be the first student to receive the support and as a result will be able to cut back on working outside his studies.
He said: “The scholarship would help me hugely by providing financial help which would allow me to cut back the hours at my job, giving myself more time to study and focus on getting the results I am determined to attain.
“It feels great that the panel believed in me. Being the first to receive it gives me a lot of confidence in the way I approach situations like interviews. ”
Abertay lecturer Helen Smith said: “Robbie performed very well in response to questions from the panel.
“Having the opportunity to receive funding to support his studies will be of great benefit, and the work experience at Murray Taylor will provide Robbie with the skills to enhance his employability.”