Winning Students 100 is a world-leading dual-career programme that supports more than 100 of the most talented student athletes studying at Higher and Further Education institutions in Scotland.
The programme is managed by University of Stirling, Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence, and is supported by an advisory board and management group made up of professionals from across the tertiary education and sport sectors.
Executive Director of Sport at the University of Stirling and Chair of the Winning Students 100 Advisory Board, Cathy Gallagher, commented:
“The importance of this dual career programme for talented student athletes, cannot be understated. The coming together of the Scottish Funding Council, sportscotland and the HE/FE sector forms a significant collaboration within which to create even more impact for the current and future cohort of students”.
sportscotland are into the second year of a five-year partnership (2023-2028) with University of Stirling to deliver Winning Students 100. The programme helps student athletes through the provision of academic flexibility, athlete support services and grants of up to £3000.
In 2024/25, 111 student athletes were supported, representing the widest ranging cohort to date, covering 32 sports and 19 unique universities and colleges across Scotland.
This included 66 female and 45 male athletes, with seven para-athletes supported, plus eight individuals benefiting from Winning Students 100’s hardship fund. This additional funding aims to promote diversity and inclusivity by supporting student athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds, making performance opportunities more accessible.
At Paris 2024, six athletes supported by Winning Students 100 represented Team GB and ParalympicsGB.
Faye Rogers: The competitive edge
Winning Students 100 para-swimmer Faye Rodgers trains and studies at the University of Aberdeen. She is incredibly supportive of the programme and how it has helped her during her meteoric rise in swimming, culminating in a Paralympic Gold medal in the thrilling S10 100m butterfly final at Paris 2024.
Faye said, “Honestly, I'm just so grateful for all the support because I couldn't have done it without it. There's no way I would be able to even have met one of the goals, never mind succeed in both areas of my life”.
In 2021, Faye competed in the Tokyo Olympic Selection trials when she was involved in a car accident which injured her right arm and changed her life at the age of just 19.
Faye said, “The last three years have been really crazy for me. I had a life-changing accident on the day I was supposed to start university so my whole university career has been taking place while adapting to life with a disability as well as try to compete in elite level sport, which was new to me as well. It’s been a whirlwind, but I couldn’t be happier with where I am now.”
She added, “For as long as the Paralympics were on the horizon, I had tunnel vision as that was the one goal however now I can reflect on the whole journey and the challenges I have overcome. I still can’t quite believe I managed to pull it off.”
The ripple effect
The programme provides support in many ways, such as financial, expertise, advice, and operational decisions from personnel at the sportscotland institute of sport. Phil Reid, Head of Performance Sport Programmes is part of the advisory board in addition to members of sportscotland staff who are part of the management group.
Faye has been one of the student athlete voices on the advisory board and was also the first recipient of the André Reibig Medal. The medal was established in honour of André and his involvement in Winning Students 100 as part of the Scottish Funding Council.
It was Faye’s achievements in her studies and sport that has seen her recognised with the award, for which the key criteria are progression in sport, resilience and adversity and high levels of performance.
Faye said: “I’m really honoured to be the first recipient and very grateful to André’s family and to André for his support behind the Winning Students programme. To be the first to win it is special and I’m sure some amazing athletes will win this in the future so that will only add to how special the award is in the years to come.”
A programme with purpose
Bryan Barclay, Performance Sport & Winning Students 100 Officer, University of Stirling has been working on the latest phase of the programme. His role is to support the sector by providing opportunities and scholarships for performance level athletes within education.
Bryan said, “We’ve seen many individuals go on to excel professionally in their career alongside competing at a high level for many years, so the programme support and educational focus gives them a foundation to build on.”
He added, “Winning Student 100 athletes compete at an elite level which requires them to attend international competitions and training camps in other countries, so the funding and support not only relieves some financial pressure, making it more accessible for some athletes to focus on their studies and progression in sport, but also helps to manage commitments, expectations and demands.”
Athletes on the programme can use the funding for competition entry fees, training fees and camps, equipment, recovery, travel and accommodation. From survey results, Winning Students 100 have found that athletes were able to take part in higher level competitions which can contribute positively to their ranking position in the sport and improve them both personally and professionally as an athlete.
Faye said, “It can be difficult to navigate university commitments with swimming where there’s a lot of clashes with competitions during termtime, exams or competing abroad, but having the support and flexibility to move assignments or rearrange things is so helpful.”
She added, “In the last 12 months, I was able to compete abroad and get some really good international racing experience going into Paris that I wouldn't have been able to do if I hadn’t had that academic flexibility.”
For athletes from lower income or areas of deprivations, there is also a hardship fund through Winning Students 100 which can reduce barriers and provide additional support to athletes on their journey.
From 2008-2024, 337 athletes supported by Winning Students 100 have competed in the Commonwealth, Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 98 medals won in total over the course of the games.