THE Ad Astra scholarship programme has seen cuts of up to €3,500 per student since 2015. At the same time the number of students enrolled in the programme has dropped by almost a third.

Previous to 2015, students accepted into the scholarship were given a possible €6,500 in assistance. This amount has now more than halved with new students into the programme receiving €3,000.

Students who entered the programme before 2015 will continue on the funding scheme that they began their course on. This includes between €1,500 to €4,000 of the student fees covered and an additional bursary of €1,000. Accommodation was also covered with students offered either 50% off on-campus residences Belgrove or Roebuck Castle.

Students who entered the scholarship programme from 2015 onwards now receive a lump sum of €3,000 for the year, spread between semesters one and two. This also includes a reserved space in on-campus accommodation.

The total number of students on the programme have fallen dramatically with the cuts. In 2014, there were 93 new students registered while in 2015 the number fell to 66 and this year the number has fallen again to just 49.

As a result, students in the same programme at the same time receive different levels of funding.

UCDSU education officer Lexi Kilmartin commented that: “it’s pretty terrible considering it’s UCD’s only real scholarship… if you look at the scholar awards and all that kind of stuff, there’s nothing to the same extent.”

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