Bursary winners Simon Morris, left, and Elka de Carteret with bursary co-ordinator Emma-Jayne Sarahs and Total general manager Antony Harding. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0831174)

TWO students have each been awarded a £1,000 bursary to help with the cost of their university studies.

Former Grammar School head girl Elka De Carteret and former Elizabeth College student Simon Morris, both 18, have been awarded the money by oil and gas company Total.

They said it would make a difference to their time at university.

Miss De Carteret is to study communications with media at Loughborough University. She achieved three As at A-level.

‘Being a student can have a heavy financial burden,’ she said.

‘This money will help to lighten the load. I feel privileged to have been chosen as the winner of the Total bursary.’

Mr Morris achieved five As in his A-levels.

He will start studying maths at Christ’s College Cambridge, in the autumn.

‘When students come out of university, they often have a lot of debt,’ he said.

‘It builds up over the three years, so this money will help keep the debts down. It’s been hard to find work this summer so the Total bursary is a good way of earning some extra money.’

He plans to spend his bursary on his fees and textbooks.