NINE students have been awarded nearly £50,000 in scholarships to support them through their degrees.

The St Mary’s College students were handed cheques of £7,500, £6,000 or £1,500, to help support them with their three-year undergraduate courses at a special ceremony last night.

The £49,500 total was distributed between them from Liverpool Hope University as a result of high achievements in their A-Level results.

All students who achieve 360 points which equates to three grade As at A-level and are accepted onto St Mary’s College degree course which is run in partnership with Liverpool Hope University are entitled to a Foundation Scholarship worth £6,000.

And students who have acted as role models during their studies and who were considered likely to benefit from a university education are awarded £1,500 for a Foundation Scholarship.

Liverpool Hope will pay up to £800,000 in scholarship awards each year.

Principal Kevin McMahon said: “This fantastic support for our degree students will make a significant difference lives during their students at St Mary’s.

“It is a measure of our student relationship with Liverpool Hope University that so many students have been given such a wonderful start to their higher education courses.”

Shaheen Valimulla, 18, from Blackburn, Toni Wilkinson, 19, from Altham, and Amy Crook, 18, from Clayton-le-Moors, who have completed a National Diploma in Early years and are all currently part of the BA Education and Inclusion degree programme received £7,500 each - £6,000 for Excellence Scholarship and £1,500 for a Foundation Scholarship.

Both Unas Waqar, 18, from Accrington, and Mehvish Maqsood, 18, from Accrington, who are completing a BA in Education and Inclusion received £1,500 each for the Foundation Scholarship.

And Cathryn Miller, 19, from Accrington, who is studying for a BA in Education and Inclusion, Nicholas Neal, 25, from Oswaldtwistle, Joanne Scholes, 24, from Oswaldtwistle, who are both completing a BA in Sport and Health and Jason Smith, 20, from Blackburn, who is on a single honours Sport and Health Programme, were all given £6,000 Excellence Scholarships.

The cheques were presented by Reverend professor Kenneth Newport, the pro-vice chancellor for research and development at Liverpool Hope University at the college yesterday.