Young people living in Craven who may find it difficult to afford a university education will have to hurry if they want to benefit from a scholarship scheme.

For the sixth year, Skipton Building Society is working in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council and the University of Leeds to provide scholarships to young people who live in Craven and Richmondshire.

Scholarships of up to £2,000 a year are available for courses at any higher education institution.

To be eligible, students must start their first degree course in September, be entitled to receive the full UK maintenance grant (ie have a family income of less than £25,000 a year) and come from a family where there is little or no experience of university education.

The University of Leeds administers the scholarship scheme, which began in May 2003 when Skipton Building Society donated £375,000 to mark its 150th year.

The deadline for applications is Friday and forms are available to download from leeds.ac.uk/ ace/access/scholarships.htm or by getting in touch with the Undergraduate Scholarships at the University of Leeds at ugscholarships@leeds.ac.uk or on 0113 343 3378.