“The scholarship is a great aid to my studies, as it has taken a great deal of pressure off me financially. It has allowed me to buy materials for college, such as books and stationery, but it has also helped me to pay rent, buy food, and pay for my transport to and from college. With this weight lifted off my shoulders I have found it much easier to study and do well in college, as I’m not stressed about other things. Thanks to this scholarship, I only have to stress about the normal things that all college students stress about, like achieving good grades and so on. No student should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from or whether they can afford to travel to and from college.

“In order to have an enjoyable college experience, I think you really need to be able to have a good social life too. Doing simple things like going for a coffee with friends or going to the cinema every now and then – that’s also what this scholarship allows its recipients to do.

“I honestly cannot thank everyone who supported my scholarship enough. I come from a single-parent, low-income household, and without this scholarship I would really have struggled financially. This scholarship has helped me pay my rent in Dublin, and without it I would have been forced to move back home and do a long commute every day. My studies would have suffered greatly. Thank you to everyone who made it possible for me to receive this scholarship.”