Oil giant BP has released an additional £1.56m of scholarship funding to UK universities in addition to the £5.8m initially provided in 2007.

BP expects to support up to 450 students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses across the UK offering opportunities such as masters degrees, internships abroad or studying overseas. Students funded by BP are under no obligation to apply for a role at BP post-graduation.

Emma Judge, head of graduate recruitment BP, says: “The financial crisis and the challenging economic environment is putting pressure on students’ living costs, and sources of extra support are scarce. So we hope that this £1.56m top-up will benefit about 450 students across the UK and will enable them to get the most from their degrees and broaden their experiences.”