Students who have achieved academic excellence in their studies before joining the University, and meet the eligibility criteria, will automatically be awarded the scholarships worth £1,500 over three years.

New students will also receive the Welcome Package worth £450 over three years, which they can spend as they choose, whether it be on books for their course, a Go Global deposit or Aspire Gym membership.

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies & Science Prof Jan Domin said: “We are delighted to offer these scholarships to students who have excelled in their studies. We are really keen to give more people the skills they need to thrive in the 142,000 jobs due to be created between now and 2023 in STEM industries.”

Many of the STEM courses will be taught in the University’s new STEM building, which is due to open at the Luton campus in 2019.

Set out over four storeys and incorporating 6000m2 of teaching and laboratory space, the new building will allow the University to build on its strong STEM offering, with courses including Pharmacology, Nutrition, Biochemistry, Cybersecurity , Automotive Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

It will also include a new Science and Engineering Outreach Centre to promote the value of science and engineering to local schools and the wider Bedfordshire community.

Find out more about the STEM academic scholarships here.