Why this Bradford law student has won a scholarship

Rukhsar Jahangir 21, from Bingley, who is a third-year law student at the University of Huddersfield has been awarded the Rose Scholarship, Blackstone Entrance Exhibition by the Middle Temple Inn.

She’s been awarded £21,500; £14,000 of which will be used to cover her course fee.

She said: “I honestly cannot believe I won this award.

Rukhsar Jahangir 21, has been awarded the Rose Scholarship, Blackstone Entrance Exhibition by the Middle Temple Inn. (Image: UGC)

“You don’t see people from Bradford winning scholarships like this and I’m so pleased.

“There’s this stigma that barrister’s courses aren’t diverse or accessible but scholarships like this are helping change that.

“I won this award by being myself and that’s what a lot of people don’t do.”

The huge sum of money will allow Rukhsar to dedicate her full time and potential to her course as £7,000 of the award will be used to cover personal expenses while studying.

She will study at BPP University Law School, Leeds, in September 2023.

She added: “My parents were emotional and proud of me.

“They couldn’t believe it.

"My mum got quite emotional.

“They’ve been supportive and have pushed me to take on opportunities.

“My mum always tells me there’s nothing I can’t do.”

The scholarship is immensely competitive and is open to all law students across the UK, who meet the merit-based criteria.

Rukhsar said: "People think that scholarships are based on financial means, but this isn’t, it’s based on merit, your academic studies, and what you’re doing in law.

“There was a lot of form filling and after that, I was invited to attend an interview in London at the Middle Temple Inn.

“All the courts have a scholarship, but you can only apply to one of the Inn so it’s difficult and you know there is a lot of competition.

“The Inn’s decide how much money, they’re going to grant you, whether that’s £1,000, £7,000- I actually can’t believe they gave me that much.”

Rukhsar hopes that by showcasing her fantastic achievement, she can inspire more law students from Bradford to apply for scholarships and help them progress in their careers.

She added: “Once people see someone from Bradford has won it, I think more people will apply.

“It’s a huge honour and very rare, but I’m grateful and proud that I received this scholarship.”

She hopes to become a Coroner in the future, and this scholarship will hopefully be a step in the right direction.