The University of Wolverhampton has pledged more than a quarter of a million pounds to local secondary school pupils as part of a new scholarship scheme for students starting university courses.

Wolverhampton has awarded more than 250 Student Achievement Scholarships, which are given to youngsters who outperform their original predicted grades and expectations.

The new £1,000 bursary. which is not linked to family income, was launched this summer and will benefit teenagers starting university in September.

It entitles students to £1,000 in their first year, providing they maintain their study and course-attendance requirements.

Diana Bannister, associate director for education partnerships at Wolverhampton, said: “We have had an overwhelming response to the scholarships.

“The students deserve to be recognised for their hard work and this financial reward will undoubtedly make a huge difference as they begin their university degree studies.”

Youngsters are nominated by their secondary school or college if they exceed their original expectations.

Some of the first to be awarded the bursary were six youngsters from Pendeford Business & Enterprise College in Fordhouses.

Eighteen-year-olds Jaspreet Aulkh, Sabrina Dhaliwal, Veerinder Kainth, Roisin Keogh, Rajesh Sharma and Jatinder Ram all had to apply in writing to the school and teachers then put their names forward to the university.