Chrisann Jarrett, 23, is founder of an equal access to higher education campaign called Let Us Learn. She recently graduated with a law degree from LSE. In 2013 Chrisann was forced to take a gap year after recognising that her immigration status prevented her from being eligible for student finance. She was told that instead of being charged £9,000 a year she was classified as an international student and had to pay £17,000 to begin her degree. Determined to make her gap-year productive Chrisann started a 4-month internship at Just for kids Law, during this time she met other young people going through the same situation.
In 2014, Let Us Learn was created, the aim being to change the secondary legislation that prevented young ambitious migrants from starting their degrees. Due to her efforts Chrisann was able to secure a full scholarship from the LSE covering her 3 years of study. After months of lobbying, going to APPG meetings and featuring on BBC Newsnight, Chrisann was able to work with barristers and lawyers at Just for Kids Law and submit supporting evidence in a Supreme Court intervention in a test case called Tigere. This led to a change in the law that has benefitted hundreds of young people.
Chrisann continues to campaign in order to broaden access to higher education. The campaign has grown from 3 young people to over 900 with 21 active volunteers. In 2016 the campaign launched a scholarship campaign which subsequently led to over 16 universities widening their scholarship criteria to include young migrants with unsettled status.
Her efforts have been widely recognised, she was shortlisted for a Liberty Human Right Award in 2015, named Young Woman of the Year 2015, Number 1 Future Leader by the Powerlist Magazine 2015/16. In 2017 she was named number 30 on the Tab Future100 female students to watch and nominated as a Role Model and Diversity Champion in Education by the National Diversity Awards 2017.
Chrisann now works full time on the Let Us Learn campaign focussing on the aspirations of young people and developing young leaders She hopes to qualify as a lawyer in the near future