Richard Upton pioneering student support
Richard Upton is the creative and successful entrepreneur who has established, built, and sold four property investment and professional companies in the past two decades as well as being an eminent alumnus of the University of Reading Real Estate & Planning programme.
Drawing upon his personal experience, Richard has shared how he emerged from a non-traditional state-educated background, becoming the first in his family to attend university. Unlike many of his peers, he had to support himself through hard work during his studies, which is why he recognises the exceptional financial barriers that students from non-traditional backgrounds now face, from the burden of loans towards fees, to the rising cost of living.
To address these challenges and to allow the industry to tap into a broader pool of talent, Richard has established through RREF the AreYou? undergraduate bursary. From next September, this award, of the total value of £60,000 over the three years of each of the recipients’ course, will support each year an incoming undergraduate student from a non-traditional background joining the Real Estate & Planning course at Reading. The AreYou? bursary marks a significant milestone for RREF, as it is the first at this level, covering university fees as well as a substantial part of living and accommodation expenses. It will have a profound impact on the successful recipients, removing any financial barriers to their university education and allowing them to complete their studies with little to no debt. RREF will also benefit from a substantial five-figure gift from Richard Upton, supporting the charity’s core activities.
We are extremely grateful to Richard for his forward-thinking philanthropy, and we look forward to like-minded industry leaders joining him in this ground-breaking approach. If you would like to discuss how you could do so, please contact Paola Tinti,.
For all other enquiries please contact [email protected] or +44 118 378 4195
To learn more about RREF, as well as ways to support the charity, visit our website.