Five talented students are heading off to university free of financial worries after landing scholarships to study at Cambridge.

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys pupils Andrew Jeskins and Jack Wishart; Joseph Chamberlain College student Stephanie Goulei; Maryam Farooq, from Birmingham Metropolitan College; and Redditch teenager Timothy King, from Alcester Grammar School, have all been awarded £3,375 towards their first year expenses.

The funding, awarded by the OCR qualification body, will also cover their annual fees during their undergraduate studies.

This is the eighth year the awards have been made to students from the West Midlands who go on to study at Cambridge.

OCR chief executive Mark Dawe said: “These students have demonstrated exemplary qualities to achieve what they have done – not just academically, but in their extra curricular activities and their willingness to go the extra mile.

“Securing a place at the University of Cambridge represents a fantastic opportunity to further their achievements and these bursaries will enable them to do so without some of the financial constraints.”

Mature student Maryam, who will be reading medicine at St Edmund’s College, said: “As a mature student entering university, finances were naturally one of my first worries.

“This bursary has helped relieve me of a huge burden, I only need to worry about my maintenance costs now.

“There are many activities I want to get involved with during and after my university years and having this bursary will help put my mind at ease.

“I particularly hope to be able to put the money I save towards medical research and training purposes.”