Numbers of students entering DCU through an Elite Athletic Scholarship have dropped by 62 per cent since last year, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request obtained by The College View.
Only thirty five students received an Elite Athletic Scholarship for the year 2017/18, compared to 93 recipients in 2016/17. The Elite Sportsperson Academic entry route is “reserved for outstanding candidates who have achieved a very high level of sporting performance,” according to their website.
Recipients of the DARE scholarship also fell by 16 per cent from 163 in 2016/17 to 137 in 2017/18. DARE, or The Disability Access Route to Education, is an admissions scheme for students with disabilities who may not meet the competitive CAO points for the programme of their choice.
The number of students receiving DCU Access scholarships also dropped by 9 per cent from last year, with 345 receiving scholarships this year versus 381 last year. The Access service is an entry route for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Their family income must be on or below the specified threshold, and must meet other criteria based on financial, social and cultural means.
There are three main academic scholarship programmes at DCU: McAleese Scholarships, Elite Athlete Scholarships and DCU Academic Scholarships.
DCU offers academic scholarships to students achieving 550 or greater CAO points in their Leaving Certificate, and all students achieving the stated grades are offered the scholarship, according to the Freedom of Information request.
In 2017/18, 124 entrants have been offered this scholarship, in 2016/17 114 entrants, and in 2015/16 117 entrants.
Fionnuala Walsh