Commenting on the publication of OFFA鈥檚 monitoring report for bursary鈥� scholarship and outreach spending by universities鈥� Professor Debra Humphris鈥� Pro Vice鈥揅hancellor鈥� said:
鈥淲e are pleased to be able to report the University has met the financial obligations set out in its access agreements.
鈥淎t Southampton鈥� we fundamentally believe that talent is the key to gaining a place at university, and that financial background should not be a deterrent. Our successful record on widening participation speaks for itself and we are committed to ensuring that every student with the qualifications, potential and determination to succeed at university has the chance to do so.
鈥淎bout one in three of our students receive a bursary or scholarship and we offered 拢3.7 million in financial aid during 2009/10, rewarding academic excellence with scholarships and offering bursaries to those in the most financial need.
鈥淥ur aspirations for access go even further. Over the next few years, we will continue to invest significantly in outreach activities, building on the successes of our existing programmes and replacing funding lost by the withdrawal of the Aimhigher programme, to increase participation in higher education by under-represented groups, along with enhancing financial support for students through generous fee waivers, bursaries and scholarships.鈥�