€50,000 Galway Wind Park Scholarship Fund now open for applications
Budding third level students from Connemara are being invited to apply for the next round of education funding being made available under the annual Galway Wind Park Scholarship Fund.
The 2021 Scholarship, which is funded by Ireland’s largest wind farm Galway Wind Park, is now open for applications. This is the third year of the award-winning programme which is backed by Galway Wind Park co-owners SSE Renewables and Greencoat Renewables.
The Galway Wind Park Scholarship Fund is targeted at full- and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students living within 20km of the 174MW Galway Wind Park in Connemara, County Galway. The bursary programme supports students attending Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway as well as other educational institutions across the island of Ireland.
The Scholarship Fund provides third-level education opportunities for local students to gain qualifications and build strong careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) subjects and in the areas of energy efficiency, sustainability, environment, health, safety and social skills.
The Scholarship Fund is typically worth around €50,000 annually and provides 50% grant support towards a student’s annual fees for a maximum of three years.
Michelle Donnelly, Community Development Manager at SSE Renewables, said:
“At SSE Renewables we’re really proud to partner with Greencoat Renewables to launch the third year of this wind-powered scholarship, backing local students progressing towards their third-level education. Giving the unprecedented challenges of last year, to be able to help a number of students with financial support as they begin their studies is a privilege. We’d encourage anyone from areas of Connemara around Galway Wind Park who are moving into third level education to consider applying for this year’s funding from the Galway Wind Park Scholarship.”
Patrick Maguire of Greencoat Renewables said:
“We are delighted to launch the third year of this the Galway Wind Park Scholarship Fund. Given the ongoing pandemic it is fantastic to be able to offer support to local residents of the wind farm and it shows that we are committed to continue supporting important initiatives such as this and to invest in future generations.”
The Galway Wind Park Scholarship is Ireland’s first ever wind-powered scholarship. To date, 57 students have received support from the fund as they embark on their college education.
Student selection for the Scholarship is administered by Galway Wind Park’s Community Team with GMIT, NUI Galway and FORUM Connemara CLG, a Local Development Company whose main aim is the economic and social development of the Connemara region.
The deadline for completed applications to be submitted to a student’s chosen education institution for the 2021 Scholarship is Friday, 29 October 2021.
The application form and further information on how to apply can be found online at: