SSE Airtricity Scholarship gives financial boost to 20 students at South West College

SSE Airtricity, Northern Ireland’s largest renewable energy generator, is giving a financial boost to 20 local South West College students through its Scholarship Fund. The funding will help the students with their education costs by covering 50% of their fees at the university.

This year’s announcement took place at the South West College campus in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. The successful applicants were joined on the day by Gerry Campbell, Chief Executive of Colleges Northern Ireland, Catherine Bell, Deputy Secretary at the Department for Employment and Learning, and Eugene Rooney, Deputy Secretary at the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

SSE Airtricity launched its scholarship programme in 2014 to support students from the West and North-West of the country in advancing their academic aspirations. Earlier this year, the scholarship was awarded to 12 Ulster University students from counties Tyrone and Derry-Londonderry.

With a total value of nearly £100,000, the SSE Airtricity Scholarship is one of the most significant bursary schemes available to full-time students in Northern Ireland. The programme is directly supported by the Regional Fund from SSE Airtricity’s Slieve Kirk Wind Park near Derry-Londonderry, which is Northern Ireland’s largest wind farm.

Aoife Ryan, Head of Sustainability at SSE Airtricity, commented:

“We’re proud to be awarding this year’s SSE Airtricity Scholarship to 20 students at South West College. At SSE Airtricity, we’re committed to making a positive difference to the communities closest to our wind farms. This fund is about supporting the next generation in their educational aspirations across a variety of courses. We have had a phenomenal level of interest again this year, which goes to show the difference the funding can make to local students.”

Malachy McAleer, Director of South West College, said:

“South West College is delighted to be associated for the second year with the SSE Airtricity Scholarship. We have around 1,500 Higher Education students and many of them choose to study with us because of our Grade 1 status, our geographical location and the availability of high quality, affordable degree programmes. As a provider of education and training in Northern Ireland, and internationally, we are acutely aware of the current financial demands being placed upon students.

“The launch of the scholarship last year and its continued promotion and development this year has undoubtedly influenced the decision making of students who would otherwise be unable to take up the option of Higher Education.”