What support is available for Black and minority ethnic groups?
At Surrey we are committed to supporting students from diverse backgrounds. We have an inclusive community, allowing students to connect and make the best of their student experience. At Surrey we are committed to supporting students from diverse backgrounds. We have an inclusive community, allowing students to connect and make the best of their student experience.
Financial and Technological Support
If you are from a diverse background also going through financial difficulties, you can apply for the Hardship Fund, and the Access to Learning Fund for money towards books and other learning equipment (such as PPE) for your programme.
You can also take advantage of our long-term Laptop Loan Scheme where you can rent a laptop for a whole semester or, at times, a whole academic year.
Students from a BAME background may also be able to access other funds/bursaries to support them during their studies if not eligible for the above - see our bursaries page.
Sports
If finances are a barrier to joining in with sports at Surrey, you may be eligible to access funding to support with this. Referral requires a member of staff, such as your personal tutor, the Students’ Union, Student Success and EDI team, Centre for Wellbeing or MySurrey Hive.
Employability and Careers
The Employability and Careers team also have specific resources to support the BAME community in their job hunting and upskilling on their Surrey Pathfinder platform, as well as exclusive mentoring opportunities. Look out for emails from the team with details of how to apply.
Events and Activities Across Campus
Various teams across the University deliver events and workshops which may be useful and interesting for our BAME community. Previous events, workshops and celebrations include activities for:
- East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month
- Black History Month
- South Asian Heritage Month
- Lunar New Year
- Celebrating religious festivals such as Holi and Ramadan via our Chaplaincy team and Societies
The Library team run SurreyReads which is a student-led leisure reading collection with many of the books being chosen by Student Curators. You can find reading lists based on various topics such as colourism, anti-racism, wellbeing and mindfulness; and from a variety of authors from the Latinx, female, LGBTQ+, and black communities. They also run themed events throughout the year.
You can also join our BAME mailing list to get the latest information, news, opportunities and events happening across campus!
Clubs and Societies
There are various clubs and societies run through the Students Union that you may want to explore joining such as the Afro Caribbean Society (ACS), the Association of British and Chinese University Students (ABACUS), Bulgarian Society, Filipino Society, Hispanic Society, Indian Students Association (ISA), and many more. Some clubs and societies are really active and organise events through the year. You can find out more on the Students’ Union webpage and by attending our Freshers’ Fair during Welcome Week.