Sporting students at colleges and universities in Scotland can apply before 31 March for financial support.

Winning Students provides scholarship funding to help students achieve their sporting and academic goals. The national sports scholarships are open to current students and to school leavers preparing to start their studies this September.

Applications are sought for Individual Scholarships, which apply to athletes competing in individual and small combination sports such as Athletics and Weightlifting.

Students competing in Badminton, Curling, Football, Golf, Hockey, Judo, Orienteering, Rowing, Swimming, Tennis and Triathlon should not apply as athletes in these sports are nominated directly by the appropriate governing body of sport.

To be considered for support, applicants should meet the selection criteria outlined on the Winning Students website at: www.winningstudents-scotland.ac.uk.

The programme currently supports more than 150 students, including Commonwealth Games Boxing Bronze medallist and New College Lanarkshire Joinery student Reece McFadden; Paralympic Cycling Silver medallist Karen Darke, studying through The Open University in Scotland and University of Glasgow Veterinary Medicine student Laura Muir, an 800m World Championship Finalist.

Individual Scholarship applications are invited by current and prospective students before 31 March to be considered for funding support from September. School leavers should provide proof of application (college) or a UCAS number (university).

College, universities and governing bodies of sport staff are permitted to submit nominations on behalf of an athlete. Winning Students is funded by the Scottish Funding Council and run by the University of Stirling.