Financial help to go further

They didn't even apply for it, so the Donogh O'Malley scholarship was the best surprise for 17 of last year's Leaving Cert students, writes Grainne Faller

PICTURE THE SCENE. You're in your first year of college. It's Sunday. You're at home, finishing a project or preparing to catch a bus back to campus when suddenly, you get a phone call from none other than Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin.

She informs you that you have won a scholarship worth almost €7,000 for each of the next four years of your education. It's no wonder that many of the students, who found themselves in that very position last year, had trouble believing that it was true.

Those scholarships, appropriately named after the late Donogh O'Malley, who pioneered free second-level education in this State, were awarded for the first time this year and have made a huge difference to those 17 students, all of whom are from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

For this year's Leaving Cert group, the story gets even better, with opportunities having increased even further thanks to the introduction of another new scholarship scheme backed by Limerick entrepreneur JP McManus.

There was a glimpse of the future early last month as the first Donogh O'Malley scholars gathered in Dublin for a presentation. They came from around the country, studying a wide range of topics at third level - from art and design to pharmacy and medicine.

Almost one-quarter of the scholarships were awarded to students who are from countries other than Ireland.

Speaking at the presentation, Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin said: "It is a fitting tribute to a man who revolutionised educational participation in Ireland four decades ago."

Donogh O'Malley did change Irish education for the better in his short lifetime. After 40 years of free post-primary education, the figures tell the story.

In 1966, 12,500 students sat the Leaving Cert, now the figure has risen to 54,000. The introduction of free third-level fees has not had quite the same levelling impact when it comes to participation from different socio-economic groups, but it is hoped that substantial scholarships such as these will at least recognise and reward these students' particularly impressive achievements.

Aimed at students from disadvantaged backgrounds, the O'Malley scholarships are awarded to the top performing Leaving Cert students from any of the 203 post-primary schools participating in the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) school support programme.

Candidates must have been exempted from the payment of the Leaving Cert examination fee. A regional spread is ensured, with the scholarships split between four geographical regions. It is not necessary to apply for the awards as all first-time Leaving Cert candidates, who fulfil the minimum requirements, will automatically be included as candidates. Worth €6,750 each, receiving a scholarship has no impact on a student's eligibility for a maintenance grant. That means that if a student is in receipt of the special maintenance grant, he or she will receive over €13,000 in total this year.

There is scope for postgraduate study within the scholarship and a recipient can renew the scholarship to pursue an approved postgraduate course.

If the student wants to take time to travel or to work for a while before pursuing any further qualifications, it is possible to defer the award for up to three years.

The new scholarships backed by JP McManus are bigger in scope, with 120 students expected to receive one later this year. Worth the same amount of money as the Donogh O'Malley scholarships, and largely similar in nature, they will be awarded to the top performing Leaving Cert students in each county who attend a recognised, non-fee-paying school

Candidates, like the O'Malley scholars, must be exempted from paying the Leaving Cert examination fee to qualify for consideration.

A regional spread is again assured, with the awards being distributed by county. Introducing the scholarships, the Minister said: "This scheme can make a real difference in further advancing the access agenda over the coming years."

Head teachers have naturally been positive about the effect that awards such as these can have on a student's options for third level. The general recognition of effort and achievement can also provide the wider school community with a boost according to the principal of Ramsgrange Community College in Co Wexford, Liam Fardy.

"It has a great impact on students and the community to see one of their own achieving like that," he says, referring to Brendan Roche, who won an O'Malley scholarship this year.

"We have a gallery of photos of pupils who have achieved - doctors, nurses, gardaí, in the Army and so on," he continues.

"We're showing youngsters what is possible . . . we're a small community and people know Brendan in the area. That sort of achievement is great for them to see."

What a difference a scholarship makes

Mareta Gadaborsheva

Originally from Russia, Mareta sat her Leaving Cert in the Mercy Secondary School in Inchicore

"I actually thought somebody might be playing a joke on me. The department rang my school looking for my number. They didn't say anything about the scholarship. They just said they were updating files. The school had to check with me before giving out my details, but eventually I got the call.

"At the start, I didn't have a clue. When she said 'Mary Hanafin', I thought, 'that name sounds very familiar'. When she told me what the scholarship meant, I was like 'what?' I could barely believe it and I still thought it might be a joke.

"I went to my school to see whether they knew anything about the scholarships, but they didn't, so it was only when I got the letter confirming it that I truly believed it.

"The ceremony was great. I was a bit late - you know how the buses are! We had photographs taken and we were presented with our medals. The Minister gave an interesting speech and we had tea with her. It was very nice . . . my school is very proud!

"I thought the Leaving Cert had gone pretty well. Maths was okay, but I had been very nervous about English. The worst part about the exam was the anticipation, I mean it's two years of work compressed into a two-and-a-half hour exam.

"When it was over, I think that was one of the happiest moments of my life. I knew I had enough points for my course when I got the results, so I was happy with that. I never thought that there would be something else.

"I'm studying physiotherapy in Trinity and I love it. It's so different from school. There's much more independence to make your own decisions. The scholarship means that there's no great pressure on my family. College is expensive, but there's no problem now with my travel expenses or if I need books. It's very special being among the first group to get these scholarships. The scholarships will hopefully be awarded to people for years to come. We're the first, so this is our little piece of history I think."

Brendan Roche

Brendan is the only scholarship recipient from the southeast. He attended Ramsgrange Community School in Co Wexford and is studying architecture in Waterford IT

"It's not possible to have a part-time job with the course I'm doing. There's too much in it. I'm driving up and down to college, there are ferry tickets and food is so expensive, the scholarship means that all the financial worries are gone.

"We get three instalments adding up to €6,750 altogether over the year and we get that for four years.

"I was at home doing projects and the next thing Mary Hanafin calls. I thought it was a prank for a second. She told me all about commemorating 40 years of free secondary education and about the scholarship. I didn't know what to say to her. I couldn't believe it. My parents were delighted, but then they started getting a bit iffy, they thought that it mightn't be true, so they were like 'wait until we see the letter'. The letter came anyway.

"It was a bonus on top of the Leaving Cert results. I didn't really know how I did, and when I went to the school, all the teachers were acting strangely. When I got the results, I couldn't believe it. I was checking the top of the page to make sure they were actually mine.

"The presentation ceremony was interesting. Mary Hanafin seemed nice, but I had a project to do back home, so I was nagging my mother for us to leave. She was talking about visiting people, but I had too much to do!

"I'm enjoying my course. It's very interesting, although there's a lot in it. I thought I'd have two weeks off for Easter, but they piled on the projects, so that didn't happen. I have my driving test so I'm practising for that, but once it's over, it's back to the books.

"I think the scholarship is a good motivator alright. It takes the pressure off completely. I get the grant as well so together they're great."

Sarah Shiels

Sarah sat her Leaving Cert in Carndonagh Community School, Co Donegal and is now studying medicine in TCD

"Unfortunately, I had to rush off before the end of the ceremony for the people who were awarded the scholarship. I had an anatomy exam that afternoon, so I couldn't stay until the end. There seemed to be a good mix of people there. There were quite a few people studying in Trinity and there were a couple of foreign national students there as well. My principal came down, so it was nice to be there. The Minister was really nice.

"She called my home one Sunday afternoon before Christmas. I was just about to catch the bus back to Dublin when she rang. I think I was like everybody else in that I kind of thought that it was a joke. It's a lot of money and I hadn't heard of the scholarship before, so it was really unexpected.

"I love Trinity and being in Dublin. It's a huge change from home! I've wanted to be a doctor for so long I can't even remember why any more. The idea of being able to help people really appeals to me and I really love the course so far.

"I'm staying in Trinity Halls, the college accommodation and I'm putting the scholarship money towards that. It's a huge help, especially since my brother just started in Trinity this year as well. It's an expensive business! It's especially useful as I don't know how I'd find time for a job on top of my course if I didn't have it. Some people in my class are working, but I don't know how they manage.

"I think the scholarships will definitely be a brilliant incentive for students as more and more find out about it. It's such a huge amount of money. I reckon some people in my own school will be working with that in mind."