October 2008 NUI Galway Celebrates Leaving Cert Excellence

A select group of first-year students at NUI Galway will receive a total €119,000 in recognition of the high points they achieved in the recent Leaving Certificate. As part of the University's annual Entrance Scholarships, 70 students will receive €1,700 each, along with a specially designed scroll. The awards will be made at a special ceremony, to include teachers and parents, on Thursday, 16 October, 2008. The Entrance Scholarships are designed to attract the best students to NUI Galway and reward their academic excellence. The awards may be held with any other scholarships or grants, including the University's extensive Sports Scholarship Scheme. This year, the Entrance Scholarships will be awarded to students from 38 individual schools throughout the country. The winners represent 14 counties including, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary and Westmeath. NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne, who will present the cheques and a specially designed scroll at the event, said: "We are delighted to recognise the academic talent of these 70 outstanding individuals from all over Ireland. NUI Galway strives constantly to support and promote academic excellence across all disciplines. The Entrance Scholarships ceremony is an opportunity to give special recognition to our first year students who have already proved academic prowess through their Leaving Certificate results. It is also a chance to give due credit to their parents and teachers for their contribution to such success. We welcome them to NUI Galway and look forward to nurturing their academic talent and supporting them throughout their years of study". Entrance Scholarships are given annually to all NUI Galway new entrants who reached a minimum of 560 points in their Leaving Certificate examination (590 in Medicine). This year 18 of the winners reached the maximum 600 points. NUI Galway also awards 25 Bursaries annually, each worth €1,600, to support students who take a significant proportion of their course through Irish. -ends-