TUS has been allocated €36,000 is to support Travellers and Roma students in higher education.
The Minister for Further Education, Deputy Simon Harris, confirmed the funding allocation through the Dormant Accounts Funds.
The funding allocation aims to reduce the widening gap in higher education between Travellers and the wider population.
Minister Harris has noted that such participation in college remains alarmingly low, with data showing their are currently just 61 Travellers are in higher education.
“The HEA welcomes the roll-out of this funding to support students from Traveller and Roma communities.
“In 2021 this Fund enabled higher education institutions to provide supports to Traveller students in the context of the COVID pandemic. However, the impact of COVID-19 continues to exacerbate the challenges faced by Traveller and Roma students when accessing, and participating in, higher education.
“The continuation of this Fund, and its expansion to include Roma students, is an important intervention that will help achieve a more ethnically diverse student body”.
The funding measure is in addition to those already in place to support the Action Plan for Increasing Traveller participation in Higher Education 2019-2021.
The funding will enable the building of an interagency community approach led by higher education institutions, in collaboration with local Traveller & Roma organisations. It will have transformative long-term benefits for the Traveller and Roma communities,” Dr Alan Wall, Chief Executive of the HEA, added.
