News

3 November 2004

An Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahern TD announces new UCD150 Scholarship Programme

To commemorate its 150th anniversary, UCD is funding a new scholarship programme which will see scholarships awarded to students from every county in Ireland. The UCD 150 Scholarships will be awarded to deserving students who achieve the CAO points for their course of choice but who otherwise might be prevented from attending UCD for economic reasons. Details of this special scholarship programme were announced by An Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, TD at a ceremony in the university's industry centre - NovaUCD - on 3 November 2004.

Speaking at the announcement, the president of UCD, Dr Hugh Brady explained why the scholarship scheme was established. "In setting up our new UCD 150 Scholarship Programme, we recognise that, despite the Government's funding of fees, many potential students pass up the chance of a university education because of the opportunity cost of being a full time student. For them the cost of living in Dublin on top of the lost income while they are studying is too much - even though it is internationally recognised that the long-term economic prospects of an individual are greatly enhanced by higher education."

UCD currently runs an access programme - New Era - which offers a direct route to UCD for students who would not gain places through the CAO system but who show a desire and an ability to benefit from a higher level education, there are others who fall outside that net. This programme is funded through private donations, as well as through the HEA and directly by the university.

"It is truly heartening to watch the progress of New Era students and to note that despite their disadvantaged backgrounds, their academic performance matches and frequently surpasses the pattern of the general body of students." Dr Hugh Brady remarked. "The same will hold through for the UCD150 scholars. Our goal is to give them the opportunity to fulfill their own potential and no doubt they will."

UCD is a truly national university with over 50% of its students coming from outside the greater Dublin area. Consequently, the university decided that it would be in the spirit of John Henry Newman to award the UCD150 scholarships on a geographical basis so that every county - north and south - would be included. When Newman first opened the doors of the university in 1854 his vision was to create a new university, which would make higher level education accessible to a broad sweep of Irish people, creating a new class of educated Irish who would become the civil servants, the politicians, the lawyers, the architects, the historians and philosophers, the authors and playwrights, the doctors and engineers - the thinkers and doers who were to shape Irish society into the proud nation we are today.

The UCD150 scholarships will be awarded to students who, through their own personal efforts, are offered places at UCD through the CAO. Students will be invited to make written submissions to an assessment board and those who are successful will be supported by the scheme for three years.

And so, thirty two students will enter UCD next September, perhaps with the same sense of vision and opportunity as the 17 students who enrolled in John Henry Newman's first classes one hundred and fifty years ago.