ONE Knutsford student will get a boost of £500 towards their university studies thanks to the Millennium Bursary.

The bursary is a Knutsford Town Council-led initiative, supported by the Knutsford Lions Club, and has been awarded every year since it was founded in 2000. It is aimed at students who will be going into their third year of higher education in September 2015.

This year the bursary has been boosted to £500 - a £200 increase.

As part of the application applicants must submit a short statement of no more than 200 words demonstrating how the award would benefit their chosen course of study, with particular reference to how it may help a project or dissertation.

To be eligible for the bursary applicants must normally reside in Knutsford or Toft. Informal interviews will take place in late December and the winner of the bursary will be announced shortly thereafter.

Knutsford Town Mayor Clr Neil Forbes said: “The town council is pleased to again be inviting students from the area to apply for the Millennium Bursary. I wish all the students applying the best of luck and look forward to working with the Knutsford Lions and Jennifer Holbrook in the difficult task of deciding this year’s successful applicant.”

Last year’s bursary was awarded to George Morris who is reading History at Clare College, Cambridge, with additional awards being made by the Knutsford Lions to Andrew Beaumont and David Creaser.

Applications are being accepted online at knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/OurServices/MillenniumBursary, with a deadline of 12pm Friday December 12.