Two students from Wiltshire started their life at university in September with the support of a unique programme from Lloyds Banking Group.

The Lloyds Scholars Programme opens doors to students who otherwise might not have had the financial backing to attend leading universities, including the University of Bath.

The programme offers students from lower income households a complete package of financial support, paid internships, a business mentor and the opportunity to develop their employability skills.

Emma Rogers, from Warminster, is studying Accountancy and Laura Woods, from Upavon, is studying Social Policy, Social Work and Administration, both at the University of Bath.

In return for the complete financial and support package, students must volunteer for at least 100 hours per year while on the programme.

Richard Cooper, Head of Education and Employability at Lloyds Banking Group, said: “Lloyds Scholars is a unique social mobility programme developed to encourage and support young people from lower income families to study at some of the UK’s leading universities.

“The community work that the scholars do in return helps them connect with their communities and ensures that our goal of helping communities prosper will be at the heart of all we do for the very long term.”

There are currently 228 students on the programme, which launched in June 2011. The first 11 students graduated this summer. Seven of them have opted to join the Group’s Graduate Leadership Programme, three are going on to post-graduate study and one is training to teach.