Funds for children of WTC victims

Children of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks have been invited to apply for new scholarships to study at British universities, worth up to £14,000 a year.

Money for the scheme, which is being administered by the British Council, will come from the World Trade Center Disaster Fund, currently $7 million (£4.9 million).

It is expected that 70 scholarships will be available to cover the cost of three years' study, including fees and travel and living costs.

They will be available to students of any nationality who lost a parent or guardian in the September 11 disaster and who wish to enter UK higher education between the academic years of 2003-04 and 2020-21.

However, the scholarships will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and successful candidates will still have to satisfy the academic criteria set by the institution where they wish to study.

Judy Powell, director of higher education for the British Council, said an endowment would be set up to ensure that the scholarships funds were available over a long period in case take-up was slow.

"We want to see what the potential take-up is before deciding on any limits, but at the moment the thinking is that the scholarship will be available for up to three years' study, which has been estimated to be worth about £14,000 a year," she said.

Application forms for funding will be available from June.

Details: www.studyintheuk.org