TASS

Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) 2011-12

TASS Information

The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme, or TASS as it is better known, is a Government funded programme that represents a unique partnership between talented young athletes, National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) and the Higher (University) and Further (college/school) Education sector. TASS aims to help its athletes to balance academic life with training and competition as a performance athlete.

Now in its seventh year, TASS has already invested over £24million into athletes and the supporting network around them, providing up to 6000 awards enabling hundreds of athletes to fulfil their sporting potential and become medal winners of the future.

21 of the British Medallists in Beijing were current or former TASS Athletes, the only GB medallist in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics was TASS Alumni Amy Williams, and 55 TASS supported Athletes won 85 medals at the recent Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

More information is available on the TASS web site, www.tass.gov.uk

Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) 2011-12 Applications 

Applications are now invited from fencers who wish to be considered for the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme in 2011/12. Any fencer previously on the TASS scheme, and still eligible, must reapply.

We are pleased to be able to announce that British Fencing will have 20 individual TASS awards for the 2011-12 academic year.

To be eligible fencers must be:

• Aged between 17 and 26 on the 1^st October 2011
• In full-time education from 1st October 2011 to 31st July 2012
• GB nationals, i.e. hold a UK passport

As a guideline, fencers should already be competitive at a high level in the sport, demonstrated by cadet, junior or senior international representation and/or highly ranked in the relevant GB national rankings. Fencers must be able to demonstrate a commitment to progress in the sport and to train towards senior international representation. TASS fencers will also become part of the British Fencing National Academy from the season starting Sept 2011.

Please note the TASS network consists of the following Universities:- 

•      Leeds Met University
•      Loughborough University
•      Northumbria University
•      Nottingham Trent University
•      Sheffield Hallam University
•      St Marys University College
•      University of Bath
•      University of Birmingham
•      University of Exeter
•      University of Hertfordshire
•      University of Manchester
•      University of Oxford
•      University of Southampton

All applicants must be a student at one of these institutions or be attending a Further Education or Higher Education establishment within close vicinity. Only in exceptional circumstances will fencers from outside these areas be admitted onto the TASS programme. Scholarships may be available at these Universities for exceptional candidates.