Supported by Giving | Grousbeck Fazzalari
The Irish Youth Foundation has initiated a new bursary programme in 2024 supported by Giving | Grousbeck Fazzalari in association with Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University.
These two new bursary programmes, one at each university, are aimed at introducing young people, from disadvantaged backgrounds or with otherwise limited means, to experience university and widen their potential educational horizons and lifetime aspirations.
The bursary programme will run over two academic years – Phase 1 in 2024-5 and Phase 2 in 2025-6. Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University will each receive £10,000 per year to offer the bursary to students meeting specific criteria.
Queen’s University Belfast will invite ten students to apply through their Widening Participation Unit for scholarships of £1,000 each. These students will be from a disadvantaged neighbourhood and be in receipt of the full maintenance grant.
Ulster University will offer a short course on Early Adversity and Trauma which has been developed particularly for care experienced and adopted young people for whom entry to university is at a very low level. This is a ten-credit, level four course, and is equivalent to completing one module of a first-year undergraduate degree. The course was developed to allow participants to experience a short course within a university setting, aiming to increase their confidence and supporting their journey towards future applications to further and higher education programmes.