AJ Tracey has launched his new funding initiative geared towards supporting Black students attending Oxford University.

Working alongside St Peter's College, the intention is to address the "historic underrepresentation" at Oxford while providing young people from marginalised backgrounds with financial aid, mentorships and opportunities, allowing them to set their sights on top universities without those barriers.

"I truly believe that I had the potential to go [to Oxford or Cambridge]," AJ says. "But it was just understood that if you're from an impoverished upbringing or ethnic background it's very hard to get in. Even if you're intelligent, even if you know you can get those grades, it just feels out of reach. Unfortunately, the society that we live in, you know, it doesn't favour people from a background like [mine]. It's not a sob story, it just is what it is."

The Stormzy Scholarship was launched in 2018 and has since aided six Black students through their studies at Cambridge. With loose entry criteria, The AJ Tracey Fund will donate £40,000 a year for the first three years of their studies. The support will be catered to the specific needs of each student in hopes to lessen the cultural alienation during their time at Oxford.

Speaking on the importance of creative funds for young Black people, he adds: "I think, in general, for anyone who doesn't understand why Black people who have managed to become successful want to help Black kids, it should be self-explanatory. The whole country is catered towards white people and we're just trying to level the playing field by helping Black kids."