Students reap the (€40k) rewards from the council

By Mary Dennehy

SCHOLARSHIPS to the value of €40,000 were this week awarded to 16 IT Tallaght students by South Dublin County Council bursaries, which support young people in accessing and continuing third level education.

A €10,000 increase on the council’s contribution of €30,000 last year, the €40,000 has been divided between 16 students – who will each receive €2,500 in their first year and a further €2,500 when they progress into the second.

Of the 16 students receiving scholarships, 12 have attended six separate, local DEIS schools while the other four have progressed from Colleges of Education.

The 16 students awarded were also drawn from across all departments in IT Tallaght, including Science, Engineering, Business and Humanities, with the college believing that this diversity is a reflection of the accessibility and availability of its full-time undergraduate programmes to people from all backgrounds.

Commenting on the council’s support, Colm Downes, IT Tallaght Access Officer, said: “This [year’s] figure represents an increase to the generous €30,000 provided to IT Tallaght students last year and is indicative of the commitment that South Dublin Council has shown towards supporting its residents from entering into and graduating from third level.”

He added: “IT Tallaght would like to recognise the significant contribution that school staff make in supporting local people to progress to third level.

“The success is built on partnership and recognises the collective efforts of principals, guidance counsellors and teachers as well as the commitment of the students themselves and support by South Dublin County Council.

“We would like to particularly thank the [County] Mayor Guss O’Connell and Anne Byrne for driving this initiative.”