THERE was a super seasonal boost for one Kerry student this week as she was awarded one of the country’s most coveted scholarships from the Bank of Ireland. The hard working young Kerry student was awarded €6,300 over three years under the Millennium Scholarship programme which aims to help students who face economic or social barriers to continuing their studies.
Mary Foley from Rathmore is studying to become a primary school teacher in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick and is one of just 193 students to receive scholarships under the programme since it was established in November 1999.
Over €3.6million has been paid out so far by the Millennium programme and the bank has committed itself to awarding a further 60 scholarships a year over the next seven years. But it is not only about financial support all the students taking part are also supported by a mentoring programme developed specifically to ease the transition to third level education.
The mentors are bank staff that give freely of their time and mentoring workshops focus on communication skills and encourage the students to recognise and develop their strength and skills. Scholarship awards can range from €3,800 a year and there is an upper limit of €38,000 for the duration of the course of study.
