United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, is facing criticism over claims that she once received an offer to study pre-med at Stanford University.
The politician has repeatedly cited the supposed offer in interviews, presenting it as evidence of her parents’ financial sacrifices despite her strong academic performance.
In a 2017 interview with The Huffington Post, Badenoch said she was admitted to Stanford’s pre-med programme at the age of 16 but chose the UK for its affordability. The claim was further echoed in later interviews, including one by The Times, which stated she had won a partial scholarship.
However, Stanford’s website notes the University does not offer a pre-med major, and students may pursue health-related careers from any discipline.
Jon Reider, Stanford’s admissions officer for international students at the time, disputed Badenoch’s account. Reider, who also handled bursary allocations, said he would have overseen any offer to Badenoch and did not.
“Although 30 years have passed, I would definitely remember if we had admitted a Nigerian student with financial aid. The answer is that we did not,” he told The Guardian UK.
He explained that Stanford would not have admitted a 16-year-old with only O-levels, nor would it have offered partial aid. “If an applicant needed $30,000 a year, we would offer the full amount or none at all. There was no point in offering less,” he added.
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