London rapper Stormzy has been announced as one of the eight distinguished individuals to be awarded an honorary doctorate from the university of Cambridge in 2025. The eight nominees will all be formally admitted at a special Congregation in the Senate-House on June 25 as the event is presided over the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice. Students, alumni, specially invited guests and staff will be attending.
Stormzy will receive a Doctorate in Law from the University in June in recognition of his work towards education, music, sport and literature. This will be the second honorary doctorate the rapper receives, following his first from Exeter University back in 2022.
Back in 2018, the UK artist launched the Stormzy Scholarship at Cambridge which was set to fun two black British students every year by covering their tuition fees and maintenance costs. The rise of black students in Cambridge has since seen a rise of 50%. Indeed, in 2021, the programme saw itself being expanded after bank HSBC UK agreed to support an additional ten students per year. Today, there are 55 students that have benefited from the scholarship. This project led to a rise in applications across the UK, often referred to as the ‘Stormzy Effect’.
To be eligible for a Stormzy Scholarship, applicants must:
- Have one of the following categories of ethnicity:
- Black African
- Black Caribbean
- Black Other
- Mixed – White and Black Caribbean
- Mixed – White and Black African
- Other mixed background (to include Black African, Black Caribbean or Black Other)
- Have a confirmed place for entry to the University of Cambridge for a first undergraduate degree, and due to commence study in October 2024. (You can check the status of your offer on UCAS Hub.)
- Be a UK student and have been assessed for fee status as ‘home’. You were advised of your fee status in the offer letter issued to you earlier this year. If you are in doubt, please contact the Cambridge College that has offered you a place.
- Have applied to Student Finance (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan, and have received confirmation that you have been assessed and will receive financial support. An income assessment must have been conducted and consent given to share the information with the University. Please note that if you are awarded a Stormzy Scholarship you will be able to reduce the amount of loan you take out to zero, but you will still need an income assessment from Student Finance to be able to receive the Cambridge Bursary.
Other honorands on the day include the likes Sir Simon Russell Beale, Professor Angela Davis, Lady Arden of Heswall, Dame Katherine Grainger, Sir Oliver Hart, Maria Leptin and Sir John Rutter.
