In the words of Albert Einstein, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity”, while these words may not currently fully resonate with Leaving Cert students, and their families, there may be opportunities available which could have otherwise been missed. Leaving Certificate students considering attending third level in the autumn will have given some consideration to financial implications; if they haven’t, then their parents probably have. It may take time to apply for scholarships and/or grants, and you could take this opportunity to explore potential financial supports which could be available to support you when studying in third level. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI ) is certainly an opportunity for many, along with specific support available directly from your third level institution of choice.
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI ) is Ireland’s national awarding authority for all higher and further education grants. SUSI is now open for applications and further information is available from www.susi.ie Moreover, each institution has a suite of bursaries and scholarships, such as the 1916 Bursary. These extra weeks before you sit your Leaving Certificate exam can provide an opportunity to apply and submit your application for these financial supports well in advance of sitting your Leaving Cert.
GMIT has various bursaries and scholarships including access and academic scholarships which may be of interest to you. Information on these is available through www.gmit.ie/apply/scholarships and if you have any queries you can email [email protected].
Dr Seamus Morrissey, ATS coordinator, GMIT
