College of Science

School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science

One fee waiver available for MSc Biotechnology

School of Biology and Environmental Science

One fee waiver available for MSc Plant Biology

One fee waiver available for Msc Applied Environmental Science

School of Computer Science

One fee waiver available for MSc in Computer Science (Conversion) programme OR MSc in Computer Science (Negotiated Learning) programme. 

School of Chemistry

One fee waiver available for MSc Chemistry (Negotiated Learning) OR MSc in Synthetic Chemistry for the Pharmaceutical & Fine Chemicals Industry

School of Earth Sciences

One fee waiver available for MSc Subsurface Characterisation and Geomodelling

School of Maths and Statistics

One fee waiver available for MSc in Data and Computational Science

School of Physics

One fee waiver available across any one year taught MSc programme

College of Social Sciences and Law

This fee waiver is open to incoming Irish/EU applicants who satisfy the normal academic entry requirements.

To be considered for one of these scholarships you need to:

• provide evidence of low-income household (on or below €50,840 a year)
• have already applied to a course in the UCD College of Science and/or UCD College of Social Sciences and Law

Priority will be given to:

• Applicants who have previously entered third level education via a recognised Access route.
• Applicants progressing from a UCD undergraduate programme to a professional Masters programme.

To apply for the UCD Cothrom na Féinne Fee Waiver you must first apply to an eligible course in the UCD College of Science or Social Sciences.

Once you have applied to a course at UCD, you can then make a separate application for the UCD Cothrom na Féinne Fee Waiver. 

How to Apply

1. Review (opens in a new window)our video guide on applying for our scholarships and writing a strong application. 
2. Complete an Online Application Form
3. Submit the following Supporting Documentation: 
   
   • Income Declaration Form - Graduate Fee Waiver 2023 AND:
   • Upload the relevant financial documentation as outlined on the Income Declaration Form - Graduate Fee Waiver 2023 (e.g. 2022 Statement of Liability and/or 2022 Statement from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, etc.) 
   • AND:
   • Letter of proof of Access status. In the case of the HEAR Scheme, the applicant can provide this letter from the CAO. Alternatively, the letter can be obtained from the Access Officer from the institution where they are currently studying or where they completed their undergraduate degree.
     • This letter must include the following:
       • Confirmation of the completion of your undergraduate degree through the scheme.
       • Name of the Access route/Scheme
       • The eligibility criteria for the scheme and which criteria you met

Please note that all applications and supporting documents must be submitted by Friday 30th June 2023. Late or incomplete applications cannot be considered. 

Application Questions

You will be asked to confirm

• that your household income for 2022 was on or below €50,840
• the student type that best describes you
• the admissions pathway through which you entered undergraduate study (HEAR, DARE, Mature, Open Learning, etc.)
• your CAO or UCD Application / Student Number
• details of any other scholarships that you may be in receipt of
• confirmation of your SUSI grant status

Candidate Statement

You will then be asked to complete an essay style question of no more than 500 words.

Please write a supporting statement as to why you are seeking a Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship and how receiving it would benefit you. 

Please use this space to include some or all of the following:

• Your personal strengths and experiences that you believe will help you to enjoy and succeed at university
• Details of achievements and responsibilities you have e.g. involvement in clubs and societies, voluntary organisations, sport, academic pursuits

Information on completing the Income Declaration Form - Graduate Fee Waiver 2023

Category of Student:

• A student dependent on parent(s)/legal guardian
• Mature student dependent on parent(s)/legal guardian
• Independent student

As an Independent Student you must be:

23 years of age or over on January 1^st  2023.

You must have been living independently from your parents/legal guardians from October 2022 and will be required to provide evidence of this.

The required documentation accepted as evidence of independent residency must be 

• dated from 2021, no later than October 2022

As an Independent Student, you will be assessed under your own and, if applicable, your spouse, civil partner or co-habitant’s income.

The documentation accepted as evidence of living independently is any of the following;

• A letter confirming that the address is registered with Residential Tenancies Board (RTB);
• A Local Authority lease agreement or a letter confirming your rental under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) or any Government housing scheme/arrangement. Private housing lease agreements will not be accepted;
• A letter on headed paper from a Rental Agency confirming your tenancy;
• A letter confirming the receipt and period of Rent Allowance, Mortgage Interest Supplement or Housing Assistance Payment (HAP);
• A utility bill in your own name, for example; landline telephone, fixed broadband, gas, electricity, cable/satellite television bill, home heating bills, waste bills, mortgage statements and/or property tax letters. We do not accept mobile telephone bills. If the utility bills in the household are in your spouse’s name, please provide your marriage certificate with the utility bill. If you are co-habiting, we will accept utility bills in your partner’s name covering the relevant period together with correspondence e.g. bank statement/Statement of Liability issued to the applicant at the same address and covering the relevant period; and/or
• Official documentation posted to you at this address and relating to your residence there. For example, a letter from the Department of Social Protection confirming Rent Allowance at this address. Please Note: we do not accept bank statements alone for this purpose.

Documentation relating to an address that is merely a correspondence address is not sufficient. Documentation must be connected with your residence at that address.

If you cannot supply any of the above documents to confirm independent residency, you can, if you wish, cancel your application and apply as a dependent student.  

• Mature Dependent
  • Over 23 on January 1st 2023
• Dependent
  • Under 23 on January 1st 2023
    

If you were over 23 on the 1^st of January 2023, and still residing with your parents (or cannot supply any of the documentary evidence listed above to support independent residency) you will be classed as a Mature Dependent Student. You must supply your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) information as well as your own when filling out your application and  your own income (if applicable) and the income of your parents/legal guardian(s) will be used when assessing you for grant funding.

If you were under 23 on the 1^st of January 2023, you are automatically classed as a Dependent Student. This means you must supply your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) information as well as your own when filling out your application and  your own income (if applicable) and the income of your parents/legal guardian(s) will be used when assessing you for grant funding. 

• Successful applicants will receive a fee waiver for their programme. 

• The UCD Cothrom na Féinne fee waiver can be applied to taught masters programmes only in the UCD College of Science.

• To be considered for one of these scholarships you must have already applied to a course in the UCD College of Science.

• The UCD Cothrom na Féinne Graduate fee waiver is targeted towards applicants who have previously entered third level education via a recognised Access route. Applicants who have not entered university through a recognised third level Access route but who are from a low-income household can apply bu priority will be given to applicants who have been supported by UCD Access & Lifelong Learning at undergraduate level and then by applicants who were supported by an Access Office in another institution. 

• Applicants to the UCD Cothrom na Féinne fee waiver must have lived in Ireland for more than 12 months before applying.

• A student can only hold one UCD scholarship/fee waiver. In the event of a student qualifying for more than one scholarship/fee waiver, the scholarship/fee waiver of the greatest value will be awarded. The UCD Cothrom na Féinne scholarships are not open to holders of Department of Education Scholarships.

• As this fee waiver covers tuition fees only, successful students can only be in receipt of either the Student Grant administered SUSI or a Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship/fee waiver. Students must specify which financial support they wish to accept.

• The students who are awarded scholarships are required to pay any fees due to the University. Failure to do so may result in the withdrawal of the scholarship.

• Successful applicants will be required to pay the Student Centre Levy. 

• Scholarships/fee waivers cannot be deferred.

• Successful candidates will be asked to provide a short annual report and photographs, extracts of which will be used in publicity materials.

• If a student has to repeat a stage the fee waiver will be suspended and will resume once the student progresses. Academic performance will be monitored and support provided if necessary.

• UCD Access and Lifelong Learning reserve the right to withdraw the fee waiver should a student continually fail to complete the academic standards of their programme, or if they face disciplinary proceedings within UCD.

• Applicants must have a legal entitlement to remain in Ireland to complete their proposed course of study. The onus rests with the applicant to satisfy the University in this regard.

• UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholars will be encouraged to act as role models within UCD and their local community.

(opens in a new window)Privacy Statement

If you are unsure of something or need help at any stage of the application process, please get in touch with us by emailing (opens in a new window)all@ucd.ie, referencing the Graduate Fee Waiver.