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Cothrom Na Féinne

UCD Cothrom Na Féinne Scholarship

Undergraduate Students

Applications for the 2025-26 academic year are now open!

UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship is Ireland's largest Access scholarship. UCD recognises that the associated costs of attending third-level may present a barrier for some applicants in pursuing a degree. UCD Access and Lifelong Learning, with generous support from UCD Foundation, offers a range of Cothrom na Féinne scholarship for students who are underrepresented at UCD.

Cothrom na Féinne is an Irish phrase, which is one of UCD's mottos. It translates literally to justice and equality, underpinning our university values.

There are over 100 Cothrom Na Féinne Scholarships awarded each year with some specific sponsored Cothrom Na Féinne Scholarships:

  • UCD Champions Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship- This scholarship is open to first time undergraduate entrants (first years) who meet the eligibility criteria; they do not need to be registered to a specific programme. The value of these scholarships is €2,500 per year of study.

  • Cothrom Na Féinne Scholarship in memory of Ruth McMahon  - This is a memorial scholarship set up in memory of Dr Ruth McMahon.  This scholarship is open to students registered with the UCD Colleges of Engineering & Architecture and Science.  Two scholarships are available - one for a science student and one for an engineering student.  The value of the scholarship is €3,000 per year of study.

  • Muckross Park - Bugatto Scholarship - This scholarship is for first year UCD students who are receiving the SUSI grant and have graduated from Dominican College, Muckross Park, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Applicants must indicate that they attended Muckross Park School on their scholarship application. The value of this scholarship is €5,000 per year of study.
  • Brigid Dolan in English Literature- This is a specific sponsored Cothrom Na Féinne scholarship for an access student studying any of the following programmes:  BA Humanities - English Literature, BA Humanities - English with Creative Writing, BA Humanities – English, Drama and Film, BA Arts English and Drama, BA Arts English and Film, or BA Arts English with another subject combination. Note: Student needs to keep English as a major to Degree. 
  • AtkinsRéalis - Tom O'Malley UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship - This is a memorial scholarship set up in memory of Tom O'Malley, to support a UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship in Engineering. Preference will be given to a student registered in a civil or mechanical engineering programme. The value of this scholarship is €7,000 per year of study.
  • Colm and Louise O'Shea UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship - This is a memorial scholarship set up in memory of Colm & Louise O'Shea. It will support a student in UCD School of English, Drama and Film. The value of this scholarship is €3,000 per year of study.
  • UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship in memory of David Flynn - This is a memorial scholarship set up in memory of David Flynn. It will support a student in Computer Science or Engineering. The value of this scholarship is €3,000 per year of study.
  • UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship in memory of Roger McCarrick - This is a memorial scholarship set up in memory of Roger McCarrick . This scholarship is open to students registered with UCD College of Health and Agriculture Sciences and UCD College of Science. Priority will be given to students in UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science. The value of this scholarship is €3,000 per year of study.
  • Dr Luke Brady UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship in Medicine - This is a memorial scholarship set up in memory of Dr Luke Brady. It will support a student in Medicine. The value of this scholarship is €5,000 per year of study.
  • J.Higgins UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship in Engineering - The J.Higgins scholarship will support a student in Engineering. The value of this scholarship is €5,000 per year of study.
  • Marcel Mulholland UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship - The Marcel Mulholland scholarship will support a student in the UCD School of Science or Veterinary Medicine. The value of this scholarship is €7,000 per year of study.
  • UCD Cothrom na Féinne Think Again Scholarship - This is a separate scholarship application. This scholarship is specifically for mature women who are distant from education. The value of the Think Again Scholarship is €7,000 per year of study and provides funding for living costs, as well as a range of other vital supports such as career and personal development. Find out more about the Think Again and  find out how to apply here. 

Cothrom na Féinne Scholarships start at €2,500 per year for the normal duration of the scholars programme of study. Scholarships will be paid in two instalments each year, the first in the Autumn Trimester and the second in the Spring Trimester. The scholarship package also includes:

  • Dedicated Welcome Programme
  • Programme of academic workshops and seminars
  • Dedicated personal support offered by a team of experts
  • The support of a peer mentoring network
  • Leadership training programme, networking and development opportunities

All scholars will also be invited to the UCD Entrance Awards in February to receive their scholarship award.

The Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarships are open to new entrants to UCD (First Years) who have accepted an offer to study in UCD. Applicants must be entering a full-time undergraduate programme of study. These scholarships are awarded to prospective students who demonstrate clear motivation to pursue higher education despite educational challenges faced and demonstrate leadership to others experiencing similar challenges to pursue third-level education. Applicants from low-income households are invited, and priority will be given to:

  • HEAR students
  • DARE students
  • Students with a disability
  • First-time mature students
  • Members of the Travelling community
  • Further education award holders
  • Lone parents who are in receipt of a means-tested social welfare payment
  • Ethnic minorities
  • Refugees, those with leave to remain, and international protection
  • Students who have successfully completed a UCD Access Programme

Applicants will be assessed based on the following eligibility criteria:

To be eligible for this scholarship you must have lived in Ireland/UK/EU/EEA or Switzerland for 3 of the last 5 years and have an EU Fee Status at UCD.

The Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship cannot be awarded to students who receive any other significant Scholarship or Bursary, if you are in receipt of another Scholarship or bursary, we advise that you accept the scholarship of the greatest value to you.

1. Attend our Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship application webinar for support with your application and or attend our application drop-in hours. Further details are listed in the ‘more information’ tab below.

2. You must make an online application through your UCD Connect Account. Ensure you Complete all the questions on the online application form. You can access the application form on the UCD Scholarship Application System

Or by logging into to your UCD Connect account and go to: SISWeb > Applications > Scholarship Applications > UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship Applications > UCD Cothrom na Féinne - Undergraduate Students.

3. Attach the required supporting documentation to your online application as outlined below.

4. Hit 'Submit' on your application before the deadline!

Supporting Documents to meet indicator of financial need:

Students in receipt of SUSI

Required Document: Copy of Letter from SUSI confirming eligibility for current academic year (please remove the password and include the 3 full pages of your SUSI outcome letter)

Students who entered UCD via HEAR pathway

Required Document: Copy of Letter/Email confirming HEAR eligibility

Other students
If you do not have a letter from SUSI or HEAR confirming your eligibility you must submit financial documentation for 2024 (full year). 

Required Documents: Tax Statement of Liability (previously P21) for 2024 or Chapter 4 Notice of Assessment for 2024 and or
Statement from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection noting payments for 2024

Please note: if you do not have a SUSI letter indicating your household income then you must supply your tax statement from any employment and or a social welfare statement for any social welfare payments made to your household in 2024.

Application Timeline:

  • Open datefor applications for 2025/26 academic year is   Wednesday 27th August 2025.
  • Closing date for applications is Friday 10th October 2025.
  • Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
  • Application Assessment will take place after the deadline.
  • Outcomes will be communicated by email during early to mid November.

Upcoming Information Sessions

Attend our upcoming Cothrom na Féinne scholarship information sessions for support on writing a strong application:

We will be holding information sessions on the UCD Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship during the start of term, online and in-person. These will cover eligibility criteria, online application and supporting documents.

You can also attend one of our Online or In-person drop in hours to get support with your application though out the first 5 weeks of term until the application deadline.

Sign-up using the forms below:

Date

Time

Online or

in-person

Sign-up 

Tuesday 9th September

2:00pm

Online 

 (opens in a new window)Sign-up using this form to attend our online information session

Wednesday 10th September

10:00am

In-person

No sign up needed. Attend our weekly drop-in hour for application support.

Wednesday 17th September

10:00am

In-person

No sign up needed. Attend our weekly drop-in hour for application support.

Tuesday 23rd September

2:00pm

 Online (opens in a new window)Sign-up using this form to attend our online drop-in hour for application support.

Wednesday 24th September

10:00am

 In-person No sign up needed. Weekly drop-in hour for application support.

Wednesday 1st October

10:00am

 In-person No sign up needed. Weekly drop-in hour for application support.

Tuesday 7th October

2:00pm

 Online (opens in a new window)Sign-up using this form to attend our online drop-in hour for application support.

Wednesday 8th October

10:00am

 In-person No sign up needed. Weekly drop-in hour for application support.

If you have further questions, please contact UCD Access & Lifelong Learning by emailing (opens in a new window)all@ucd.ie or call 01 716 7123.

Cothrom na Féinne Online Information Sessions

Next Cothrom na Féinne online information session:

  • When: Tuesday 23rd September 2025
  • Time: 2:00pm
  • Where: Online (Zoom meeting) - Register here.

 

Join us on Zoom throughout the hour for online application support for the Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship application.

Cothrom na Féinne Drop-in Application Support

Drop-in application support hours are offered weekly for the first 5 weeks of the autumn semester.

  • When: Wednesdays (Weeks 1-5)
  • Time: 10:00am
  • Where: UCD Access and Lifelong Learning Centre, Level 1, James Joyce Library Building

 

Drop in to the Access centre on Wednesdays for application support for the Cothrom na Féinne Scholarship application.

UCD Access & Lifelong Learning

Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship Privacy Notice

1.      About this Notice

UCD Access & Lifelong Learning is a unit within UCD with responsibility for widening access and supporting diverse student cohorts, including students with disabilities, mature students, part-time learners, and students from communities experiencing disadvantage. UCD is the controller under GDPR for the data processed as part of the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship application process, this statement sets out how and why we process your data as part of the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship application, your rights in relation to this processing and how you can exercise them.

UCD confirm that it will obtain and process your data in a lawful, fair and transparent manner. We will collect your data for a specified, explicit and legitimate purpose and will not further process your data in a manner incompatible with the original purpose.

Furthermore, UCD will ensure that the data we collect from you will be adequate, relevant and not excessive. In addition, it will be accurate and up-to-date and we will keep it for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. We undertake to ensure that it is kept safe and secure.

2.      How we collect your personal data?

The data we collect from you will be used by the UCD only in accordance with the purposes outlined in this privacy notice. We will collect your data in the following manner:

  • Electronic application via UCD SISWeb to short list and rank candidates for the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship.
  • An income declaration form and supporting financial documents to support your eligibility for the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship, is uploaded to the SISWeb application.

3.      Information about you we will process and the purposes for which we process them

 

Data fields collected/processed

Purpose

Full name

Identification for communication.

Home address

To contact you with the outcome of the

scholarship section.

Email address

For communication and follow up on the application process.

Student Number

As an identifier as a UCD Student.

Date of Birth

To check if you require parental consent on

your application.

Declaration of Household Income

Eligibility criteria for the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship.

If you have entered UCD through any of the following pathways:

HEAR; DARE; FET-QQI; University Access;

Mature Years.

Eligibility criteria for the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship.

Requested supporting documentation, including Statement of Liability(formerly P21), Notice of assessment, Social Welfare Statement, letter confirming Scholarship, letter/

documentation confirming income.

Eligibility criteria for the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship.

Candidate Statement

For ranking of applicants.

Description of applicant’s Achievements

and Responsibilities

For ranking of applicants.

Description of applicant’s Barriers to

Education

For ranking of applicants.

Description of applicant’s course choice

For ranking of applicants.

  1. The data collected in this form will be shared with the following areas of the University:
    • UCD Access & Lifelong Learning – to contact you during on the outcome of the application process, to follow up on outstanding requirements, to track your progression and to invite the successful candidates to an awards celebration.
    • UCD Infohub- Application if made via UCD Infohub and SISWeb, UCD staff with appropriate permissions will have access to these systems.
    • UCD Foundation – to track your progression and request feedback for annual donor reports.

If you have any queries or complaints in relation to the use of your personal data you can contact UCD’s Data Protection Officer at the following address:

Data Protection Officer UCD

Belfield Dublin 4 (opens in a new window)g(opens in a new window)dpr@ucd.ie

5.        Legal basis for collecting your data

The data we collect about you will be used to carry out the performance of tasks we carry out as part of the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship application process.

Should we require your consent for any specific use of your personal information, we will collect it at the appropriate time and you can withdraw this at any time.

The University will ensure that your data is processed fairly and lawfully in keeping with the principles of data protection. For the purposes outlined in this privacy notice your personal data will be processed on the basis of Consent.

If you choose not to consent to collection and processing of your data where it is necessary for the performance of the tasks we carry out as part of the Cothrom na Féinne Undergraduate Scholarship it will not be possible for you to continue to be a participant.

6.      How we store and secure your data

Any data we collect from you will be stored confidentially and securely. The University is committed to ensuring all accesses to, uses of, and processing of University data is performed in a secure manner. In keeping with the data protection principles we will only store your data for as long as is necessary. For the purposes described here we will store your data for;

We will retain your data for the duration of the selection process, unsuccessful applicant’s information will be deleted once the cycle has been completed, successful applicant’s data will be retained for the duration of the degree plus one year for operational purposes. After this period the details that you have provided will be anonymised.

When we store your personal data on our systems the data will be stored on the University premises on secure IT platform.

7.      Details of the third parties with whom we share personal data

UCD will never share your personal data with any third parties.

8.      What are your rights?

You will have the following rights over the way we process your personal data.

Right of Access

You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we are processing about you and to exercise that right easily and at reasonable intervals.

Consent

You have the right to withdraw your consent where that is the legal basis of our processing.

Rectification

You have the right to have inaccuracies in personal data that we hold about you rectified.

Erasure

You have the right to have your personal data deleted where we no longer have any justification for retaining it subject to exemptions such as the use of pseudonymised data for scientific research.

Object

You have the right to object to processing your personal data if:

  • We have processed your data based on a legitimate interest or for the exercise of the public tasks of the University if you believe the processing to be disproportionate or unfair to you.
  • The personal data was processed for the purposes of direct marketing or profiling related to direct marketing.
  • We have processed the personal data for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.

Restriction

You have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data if:

  • You are contesting the accuracy of the personal data;
  • The personal data was processed unlawfully;
  • You need to prevent the erasure of the personal data in order to comply with legal obligations;
  • You have objected to the processing of the personal data and wish to restrict the processing until a legal basis for continued processing has been verified.

Portability

Where it is technically feasible you have the right to have a readily accessible

machine-readable copy of your data transferred or moved to another data controller where we are processing your data based on your consent and if that processing is carried out by automated means.

[If you would like to exercise any of the above rights, please see our contact details below.]

9.      Contact

You will have the following rights over the way we process your personal data.

If you have any queries relating to the processing of your personal data for the purposes outlined above or you wish to make a request in relation to your rights you can contact:

Fiona Sweeney

Head, Outreach Engagement and Transition, UCD Access & Lifelong Learning

Level 1, James Joyce Library Building,

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8 Phone: 01 716 7539

Email: (opens in a new window)fiona.sweeney@ucd.ie

If you wish to make a complaint or escalate an issue relating to your rights you can contact the Data Protection Officer at gdpr(opens in a new window)@ucd.ie

Finally is you are not satisfied with the information we have provided to you in relation to the processing of your data or you can also make a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner via the link in their website (opens in a new window)Making a Complaint to the DPC.

UCD Access and Lifelong Learning

University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
T: +353 1 716 7123