SIX lucky students from a university in Edinburgh are to be given a package of support that will help them excel in their final year of study.

The students from the BA (Hons) International Hospitality and Tourism Management and the BA (Hons) Events Management are amongst the first at Queen Margaret University to benefit from the prestigious Lord Forte Foundation Scholarships.

Each successful applicant has received a substantial award of £2500, which is part of the £15,000 annual donation from the Lord Forte Foundation to the university.

The students who come from Edinburgh, across Scotland and as far as Poland, are able to use the award to pay living expenses and other costs in order to help them focus on achieving academic excellence.

Awarded by the Lord Forte Foundation, the scholarships are aimed at supporting current students, and making improvements for future generations in the hospitality, tourism and events industry.

Professor Monika Foster, head of the Division of Business, Enterprise and Management at Queen Margaret University, said: “Sir Rocco Forte is an honorary graduate of Queen Margaret University and we are delighted that the Lord Forte Foundation is working with us to support the development of the next generation of hospitality, tourism and events professionals.

“These scholarships are proving to be of significant benefit for these students – helping to alleviate the financial burden associated with university study, thereby providing more of a level playing field to help talented students, regardless of their background to achieve their goals.”

She continued: “We are pleased that the students are also investing some of their scholarship funding in developing their knowledge of key areas of the hospitality and events industries.

Foster gave an example of Matthew Davidson, a student from Edinburgh who plans to gain invaluable knowledge of the Scottish whisky industry by travelling to different distilleries and finding out about the process of distilling and tasting.

“During a QMU organised internship with a golf and country club in the US, Matthew was often questioned about Scotch whisky,” said Foster.

“He feels that by developing his understanding of Scotland’s national drink, he will be able to improve his contribution to the hospitality sector whilst also gaining a competitive advantage over other young hospitality professionals entering the industry.

Cornelia Hammarland, a BA (Hons) Events Management student, was both relieved and overjoyed to secure the Lord Forte Foundation Scholarship, in what she describes as a “very challenging final year of study”.

“The scholarship means a lot to me and as I was juggling two part-time jobs in hospitality alongside my studies to help pay rent and bills,” she added. “I am thankful to be able to reduce my working hours so I can spend more time focusing on my assignments and honours projects.

“I will also increase my employability by gaining vital festival management experience in the US. I had previously worked as an intern at a festival in Austin, Texas, and had the opportunity to return this year but was required to cover my travel costs. The scholarship will allow me to pay for the trip.”