A SCOTSTOUN acting student admits financial aid from a housing charity means he can focus on his degree – with the group set to mark 400 people helped gain an education.

Michael Gowan lives with his partner and three-year-old daughter in one of Wheatley Homes Glasgow’s social landlord properties.

The 26-year-old, who is studying BA in Performance at the University of the West of Scotland, has become the latest beneficiary of parent company the Wheatley Group’s education bursary scheme, aimed at supporting tenants living in some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities with further education costs.

Since the programme was launched in 2016, the housing, care and property-management group has awarded over 380 bursaries to help tenants and, with 50 bursaries being made available for the upcoming new term time, it means the group will surpass the 400 mark in what is a major milestone for the firm.

Michael - whose course covers acting, theatre and performance – revealed he really needed the funding boost.

He said: “Having a bursary from Wheatley Foundation has been great – it helped cover all of my travel costs and books for the year.

“I returned to further education after a few years out, so the bursary also meant I haven’t had to work while attending university full-time and working on coursework and assignments.”

The bursaries are worth up to £1500 a year for full-time students and £750 for part-time studies and are funded by the group’s charitable trust, the Wheatley Foundation.

They help Wheatley customers with the expense of studying for an HNC, HND, Undergraduate Degree or Postgraduate course.

Professor Paddy Gray OBE, chair of Wheatley Foundation, said: “We are delighted we’ll reach this milestone figure and be able to support over 400 tenants from our communities.

“The cost-of-living crisis has made it more difficult than ever before for people to be able to afford to go to college or university.

“Our education bursary is a lifeline for so many customers to achieve their dreams and reach their full potential.”

Applications for next term are available now and the deadline for applying is June 30.

For more information, email bursaries@wheatley-group.com