Think Again

(opens in a new window)Click here to get a video introduction to the Think Again Scholarship.

(opens in a new window)Cliceáil anseo chun féachaint air as Gaeilge.

I have always wanted to get into university to learn and to get my degree in nursing, so it was important for me to succeed in making my dream become real. I absolutely love my nursing course. Make sure you choose the right degree for you as you will love it more knowing that it was always what you wanted.”

Leona Rogers, mother of seven, decided to start her journey at UCD in 2023. She successfully applied for Nursing (Children’s & General Nursing) via the Mature Student pathway.

Think Again is a scholarship for women over the age of 23 from households on a low income. The Think Again scholarship is available to women studying any course in UCD, full-time or part-time, including women studying on an Access Programme.

How much is the Think Again scholarship worth?

• Undergraduate full-time students may be awarded up to €7,000 per student per year of study.
• The one-year part-time University Access Course students may be awarded up to €1,000 per student.
• Other part-time students may be awarded up to €1,000 per student per year of study.

You may spend the scholarship as you wish. 

You can find the (opens in a new window)Think Again Terms and Conditions here. All scholars need to follow all of these to keep getting their scholarship and the other supports from Think Again.

What about fees?

Firstly, if you are eligible for Think Again and are studying full-time, you should be eligible for the HEA “Free fees” initiative, so you won’t pay all of the cost of your course. (opens in a new window)Find out if this applies to you here.

Secondly, if you are eligible for Think Again and are studying full-time, you should be eligible for SUSI to pay the rest of your fees. (opens in a new window)Make your SUSI application here.

So between both of these you shouldn’t need to pay fees. 

If you will be studying part-time, this might not be covered by SUSI or the free fees initiative. In this case, fee waivers or reductions may be possible on a case-by-case basis. You can ask about these when you apply for University Access or Open Learning.

I get social welfare payments and/ or the SUSI grant, will the scholarship affect these?

The Think Again Scholarship is not included as “reckonable income” for SUSI or the Department of Social Protection income calculation. This means it will not have any effect on your SUSI payment or payments from the Department of Social Protection.

However, it is the responsibility of all applicants to make sure that getting a scholarship will not have an effect on any other payments/ supports you receive, like a Medical Card, or your status with Revenue.

(opens in a new window)Click here to watch a video version of this section.

The UCD Think Again scholarship is for women, aged 23 or over, living in households where the income is less than €50,840 a year, and who are studying in university for the first time. 

Before you apply, please ask yourself if all these statements are true for you:

• I applied for a full-time undergraduate course in UCD on my CAO application.
  OR
  I applied for a part-time undergraduate course in UCD.
  OR
  I am a student in UCD now and I will be progressing to the next stage of my programme in September (more information about this below).

• I identify as female. 
• I am aged 23 or over.
• I have been resident in the Irish State, EU, EEA, UK, or Swiss Federation for three of the last five years.
• My household income is €50,840 or less (more information about this below).
• I do not already have a university degree (more information about this below).

There is a lot of interest in the Think Again scholarships, and the number of applications we get is rising year on year. This means that there may be more applications than there are scholarships to award. For this reason, it is not guaranteed that you will get the scholarship even if you answered yes to all of the questions above. 

My household income is €50,840 or less

To be eligible for a Think Again scholarship, you have to be able to show that the entire income of your household is €50,840 or less, not including most social welfare payments. 

This means your income, plus the income of all the adults who live in your household and contribute to the income.

The limit changes depending on the number of dependent children you have:

1. Fewer than 4 dependent children - €50,840
2. Between 4 and 8 dependent children - €55,768
3. More than 8 dependent children - €60,445
4. Income thresholds increase per additional person in college - €4,785

Please download the (opens in a new window)Think Again- Guide to Supporting Documents. You need to fill this in as part of your application. It will also tell you which documents you need to send us. 

I do not already have a university degree

Think Again is a scholarship for Mature Students. You are a mature student if you are at least 23 years of age on 1 January the year you start your course, and you are starting college for the first time.

If you are not starting college for the first time, you may still be eligible for Think Again if one of these statements is true for you:

• I am aged 23+ and I started an undergraduate degree course but didn’t finish it and have had a break of 3+ years in my studies. 
• I am aged 23+ and I am on a progression pathway, such as from Open Learning, an Access Course, or a certificate or diploma.
• I am aged 23+ and the course I did already was at NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications) Level 5 or below.

“The support I received on the Access programme was life-changing. Yes, you need ambition, but you need something behind you too, to feed that ambition, and that’s exactly what the Think Again scholarship is doing. This scholarship helps me feel like I belong at UCD. I feel wanted and accepted, and it helps me to strive towards my dream, knowing somebody is there to support me, which means a lot to me.”

Eliza Bujor, mother of two, was one of the very first Think Again scholars in 2022. She successfully moved on to Biological, Biomedical and Biomolecular sciences after finishing SEAM+ - UCD Access to Science, Engineering, Agricultural Science, Computer Science, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

I am a student in UCD now and I will be progressing to the next stage of my programme in September

Current UCD students progressing from one stage to the next are very welcome to apply for a Think Again scholarship.

You still must be a Mature Student to be eligible for Think Again.

• “You are a mature student if you are at least 23 years of age on 1 January the year you start your course, and you are starting college for the first time.”

You must be progressing from one stage to another.

• “Progression is when a student completes an attempt at a stage and moves to the next stage of their programme. Progression usually occurs at the end of an academic session but it may also occur after the Autumn Trimester (mid-year progression) in certain situations, such as where a student has carried repeat modules.”

Before you apply, ask yourself if either of these sentences describe you:

• I am a Mature student progressing from one year to the next of full-time undergrad (level 6 or above) and I meet the basic criteria above.
• I am a mature student progressing from 1st year into 2nd year of a Diploma/ Bachelor of Business Studies or BA Part-time Degree Programme part-time course and I meet the basic criteria above.

If you have a question or want to get updates from Think Again, please give us a few contact details (opens in a new window)here and we will get back to you.

We welcome your application to Think Again. 

Before you start

Please read the (opens in a new window)UCD Think Again 2025 - Privacy Statement before you send us any information.

Step 1: Fill in the application form

The application form takes about 30-40 minutes to answer all the questions. 

But please note - It might take you a few weeks to get the documents you need to submit with the application form.

You will get an email from Think Again when we have received your application. Contact (opens in a new window)thinkagain@ucd.ie if you don’t get this email within 2 working days of making your application.

I hope to start a full-time programme in September

(opens in a new window)To watch a step by step video guiding you through your application for a full time programme click here.

• Click on the link to do this online: (opens in a new window)Think Again 2025-2026 - Application Form for full-time undergraduate students
• Click on the link to download a Word document version of the application form: Think Again Scholarship 2025-2026 - Full-time undergraduate students

I hope to start a part-time programme in September

(opens in a new window)To watch a step by step video guiding you through your application for a part-time programme click here.

• Click on the link to do this online: (opens in a new window)Think Again 2025-2026 - Application Form for part-time undergraduate students
• Click on the link to download a Word document version of the application form: Think Again Scholarship 2025-2026 - Part-time undergraduate students

I am already a UCD student and will be progressing from one stage to another in September

(opens in a new window)To watch a step by step video guiding you though your application as a progressing student click here.

• Click on the link to do this online: (opens in a new window)Think Again 2025-2026 - Application Form for progressing undergraduate students
• Click on the link to download a Word document version of the application form: Think Again Scholarship 2025-2026 - Progressing undergraduate students

Step 2: The supporting documents

You will need to send us more supporting documents, and you will find instructions about this in the (opens in a new window)Think Again - Guide to Supporting Documents.

Step 3: Why you are applying for Think Again 

The third and final step will be to tell us why you are applying for Think Again. Your answers will be read only by members of staff directly working on Think Again application assessments. We will use what you write in your Statement of Motivation to understand why you want to study in UCD and what it will mean to you. 

Get help with your application 

(opens in a new window)Click here to watch a video version of this section.

Priority Deadline: 31 July 

If you apply before 31 July, including your successful SUSI Award Letter, your application will be assessed, and you will be told if you have an offer of a scholarship within 4 weeks. 

If you apply before 31 July, but you don’t have your SUSI letter yet, your application will be assessed, and you will be told if you have a conditional offer of a scholarship within 4 weeks. This offer will not be finalised, and your scholarship payments will not start, until you have submitted your successful SUSI Award Letter.

Last Deadline: 30 September

This date is the last chance to make an application to Think Again for study in 2025. However, as many of the available scholarships will be awarded to applicants who apply by the Priority Deadline of 31 July, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by 31 July. 

“The focus of Think Again is on women who are largely absent in UCD – mature women students from low-income households. Think Again contributes enormously to the university’s capacity to focus on this under-represented and under-served cohort of potential students. By recognising and addressing their needs, the university is in a much better position to recruit these talented women with a diversity of experience and skills, thereby adding to the cognitive diversity and talent of the UCD community and, later, alumni.” 

Dr Bairbre Fleming Think Again Project Lead and Deputy Director of UCD Access and Lifelong Learning

Find out about what life at UCD is like as a mature student on our Mature Student information hub. 

Participating in (opens in a new window)UCD Societies and Clubs is an important part of the university experience. The(opens in a new window) Campus life information webpage outlines all your options for you to participate in student life.

One society you should definitely consider joining is the (opens in a new window)Mature Student Society. It offers a readymade way to mix with other mature students.

Pathways to study at UCD

• Non CAO Pathways

Learn more about the UCD Access Programme by clicking this link: UCD Access Programme

Learn more about the Open Learning Progression Pathways by clicking this link: Open Learning Progression Pathways

Learn more about the Lifelong learning short courses by clicking this link: Lifelong learning short courses

• CAO Pathways

A Mature Student can apply to study at UCD through the CAO application process as a Mature Student or for specific courses as a candidate with a full QQI level 5 or level 6 major award.

Learn more about applying as a Mature Student by clicking this link: Applying as a Mature Student

How do I know if I am ready to be a student?
Many students ask themselves this question! You can use our (opens in a new window)Think Again Readiness Checker to help you answer this question.

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 UCD Future You Mentoring Programme, this statement sets out how and why we process your data as part of the UCD Future You Mentoring Programme, 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:

• Initial electronic application form for all applicants to the programme
• Electronic form for successful applicants’ full registration to the programme, feedback on the programme, attendance at UCD Future You Mentoring sessions and events, and follow up progression to further and higher education information.

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

4. The data collected in this form will be shared with the following areas of the University:
•UCD Access & Lifelong Learning– to contact you during your participation in the programme, to notify you of upcoming events & scholarships, to report on the impact of UCD’s outreach programmes and seek further funding (anonymised data only).
•UCD Admissions– in order to identify you as a former UCD Future You Mentoring participant so UCD Access & Lifelong Learning can offer you supports if you accept an offer to study in UCD.
•The Office of the UCD Registrar and Deputy President– to report on UCD Access & Lifelong Learning’s outreach strategy.

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)(opens in a new window)gdpr@ucd.ie

5. Legal basis for collecting your data
The data we collect about you will be used where it is necessary for the performance of tasks we carry out as part of the UCD Future You Mentoring Programme. 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 ofConsent.

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 UCD Future You Mentoring Programme 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 operational purposes until the dates below. After this period the details that you have provided will be anonymised.

Students who start the Future You Mentoring programme in January 2020: data retained until February 2022.

Students who start the Future You Mentoring programme in January 2021: data retained until February 2023.

Students who start the Future You Mentoring programme in January 2022: data retained until February 2024.

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.

We will use anonymised data from feedback and evaluation of the programme for the purposes of reporting on UCD Access & Lifelong Learning’s outreach strategy and to seek additional funding for the programme.

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:

Outreach Officer
UCD Access & Lifelong Learning
Level 1, James Joyce Library Building,
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8
Phone: 01 716 7123
Email: all@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 (opens in a new window)(opens in a new window)gdpr@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)(opens in a new window)Making a Complaint to the DPC.