A LUCKY 125 students who completed their Leaving Certificate exams last year were officially awarded third-level scholarships, funded by Limerick billionaire philanthropist and horse-racing mogul JP McManus, at a ceremony held today (Saturday) at the University of Limerick.
The All-Ireland scholarships cover the full duration of the students’ undergraduate studies, including all aspects of their academic financial support.
Speaking at what was the 16th year of the awards, Mr McManus said that “it’s brilliant to see the Leaving Certificate class of 2023 rewarded for their hard work and dedication to their studies”.
“To think back to when we started 16 years ago, now we have almost 1,800 students awarded the All-Ireland Scholarship, it’s incredible to see how much it’s grown in that time.
“The students’ drive and determination is admirable, and they should be very proud. We look forward to celebrating the most recent recipients’ achievements at today’s ceremony,” added Mr McManus.
The scholarships are awarded to the highest achieving students annually, with a minimum of two students from each of the island’s 32 counties.
To qualify, students must also be attending a non-fee-paying school and be in receipt of a third level education maintenance grant from Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) or an Education Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland.
A spokeswoman said that, to date, 1,799 students have received a scholarship under the programme, of which over 1,400 winners have already graduated from university and have embarked on successful careers.
“The most popular courses chosen by the 2023 cohort of scholarship recipients include science, engineering, pharmacy, finance, and medicine,” they added.
