For many talented students, gaining a place at a leading university is only the first step towards achieving their ambitions. Even when tuition funding has been secured, the cost of accommodation can remain a significant barrier, particularly in London. 

The ESS Scholarship was created to help overcome that challenge by funding accommodation for talented postgraduates at Goodenough College. It enables one beneficiary per year to live within the College’s supportive international community.

Andrew McGowan, Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations at Goodenough College, commented on the scholarship:

‘The aim was to ensure that financial circumstances did not prevent exceptional students from accessing postgraduate education and the opportunities that come with it. We hoped to see students thrive academically, contribute to the Goodenough community, build international networks, and develop the confidence and skills to become future leaders in their professions and communities.’

The scholarship recipient for 2025/26 was David, a Ghanaian postgraduate studying for an MSc in Development Economics at SOAS University of London.

Having achieved a First Class honours in Agricultural Economics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, David also demonstrated a strong record of helping others through mentoring, educational outreach and community initiatives. He had already secured funding for his tuition but feels he may have been unable to move to London without the support provided by the scholarship.

David commented:

‘Honestly, without it I'm not sure I would have been able to enrol at all – the cost of accommodation in London alone would have made it very difficult. The scholarship didn't just get me through the door academically; it opened up access to a city, a network, and a set of career opportunities that I don't think I could have reached from Ghana otherwise.’

Discussing the impacts experienced by beneficiaries of the varied scholarships and hardship funding awarded by the College each year, Andrew points to positive outcomes across the academic and personal spheres. He explains how the support provided enables students to engage fully with their studies while becoming active contributors to the College community:

‘Financial security has a profound impact on wellbeing. It reduces stress and uncertainty and allows students to focus on learning, community engagement, and personal development… Many (scholarship recipients) report greater confidence, stronger leadership skills, improved mental wellbeing, expanded professional networks, and a deeper sense of belonging. They often become active contributors within both the College community and their wider professional and social networks.’

Longer term, he notes that many progress into leadership, research, public service, international development, education, healthcare, policy and business roles, while going on to support others through mentoring, teaching, community leadership and social impact initiatives.

Reflecting on how the scholarship has impacted him, David states:

‘It's meant I could focus on being fully present in my studies and take on things I'd otherwise have had to turn down for financial reasons, becoming the department representative, securing a Research Assistant scheme with faculty, and taking on a Research Economist internship at ICfS that runs alongside a demanding degree. None of that would have been realistic if I was worried about rent.’

In Andrew’s experience, accommodation scholarships are often ‘the final piece of the puzzle that transforms educational opportunity into reality’ and he describes how the impact can be far reaching – not just in the academic success of the individual but in the lives, communities, and organisations these students will influence throughout their careers.

David graduates with what he describes as ‘sharpened ambitions’ to pursue a PhD with a view to working in sovereign debt sustainability and agricultural finance. He hopes to secure a lead economist role in Africa before working towards a chief economist-level position at a multilateral organisation such as the World Bank, IMF or AfDB.

‘Being trusted with a scholarship and then having faculty put me forward for an RA role, has genuinely changed how I see my own trajectory... I now believe my background – growing up in a farming family in northern Ghana – isn't a limitation on what I can achieve, but the exact reason I'm equipped to do this work well.’

We’re honoured to have supported David through the ESS Scholarship, and we wish him every success in achieving his goals!