Galway student Conor Keane, who is studying Civil Law at NUI Galway has been awarded a prestigious Bank of Ireland scholarship. It is one of 80 new scholarships for third level education valued at over €1m.
The scholarships provide students with financial support that ranges in value from €3,200 per annum up to €38,000 for the duration of study.
The bank also announced that a further 80 scholarships will be available in 2009, the last year of the largest single millennium initiative from either the State or private sources and the largest privately funded scholarship scheme in Ireland. Applications for a scholarship can be made from January 1 2009.
The Bank of Ireland Millennium Scholars Trust was established in 2000 providing a fund of €12.5m over the first 10 years of the new millennium to give people who face economic, social or physical barriers an opportunity to access third level education. Now in its ninth year the Trust has already spent more than €8m supporting 574 students to pursue their dreams of attending college irrespective of age, background or the discipline they wish to study.
Scholarships are open to students of any age or discipline and previous beneficiaries of scholarships include students of pharmacology, culinary arts, acting, forensic investigation, environmental science, business, medicine and ballet. Almost 300 scholarship recipients have already graduated, with a further 60 to graduate in 2009.
Commenting on the awards, Brian Goggin, CEO Bank of Ireland, says the Bank of Ireland Millennium Scholars Trust has taken immense pride in giving access to education to nearly 600 deserving individuals.
“Whilst all of these students share the fact that significant obstacles precluded them from achieving their educational goals up to this point, they also share something else in common - motivation, commitment, talent and an unquestionable clarity of vision. It is an honour for our organisation to be part of their lives and I wish each and every one of them a wonderful future as they start this new period in their lives.”
