LYIT is one of four Higher Education Institutions to launch ‘Attract-Transition-Succeed’: a €1 million PATH3 project aimed at supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds to progress to third level study
LYIT will launch a new €1 million project which aims to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to progress and succeed in third level study. The Attract-Transition-Succeed project was funded as part of the Department of Education and Skills Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH 3) Fund. The overall plan is to ensure that the student body entering, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population.
LYIT is one of four higher education institutions participating in the West/North-West Cluster who were successfully awarded €1 million to support its work in widening access and supporting successful participation in higher education. Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Sligo and National University of Ireland Galway are collaborative higher education institutions within the West/North-West Cluster.
Dr Lynn Ramsey, Project Manager, West/North-West Higher Education Cluster commented, “The Attract-Transition-Succeed project funded under PATH 3 will make a positive impact on the opportunities for progression to third level in our region. The higher education institutions in our Cluster will work in partnership with community organisations and schools to support students from underrepresented groups. LYIT will be developing programmes, summer schools and mentoring opportunities for Leaving Certificate Applied students, students with disability and students from ethnic minorities. These initiatives will provide unique pathways to third level which will transform the lives of future students and their families.”
LYIT is also part of the 1916 Bursary Fund which has helped people from disadvantaged groups to access third level. In December 2017, the then Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, and Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, announced the launch of the “1916 Bursary Fund”. Since its inception, the 1916 Bursary Fund has funded hundreds of students from target groups currently under represented in higher education to support their third level journey. The fund has provided students with a bursary of €5,000 per academic year to support their studies. Individuals can be in receipt of both a 1916 bursary and a SUSI grant with the purpose of this bursary fund to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to fulfil and realise their potential.
To date, LYIT has awarded twelve 1916 bursaries to students joining LYIT who have been identified as economically disadvantaged from the specified target groups. LYIT will award a further six bursaries in 2019/20 in line with targets set out by the Department of Education and Skill’s National Access Plan. All bursary award recipients, from each of the participating higher education institutions, are supported by the respective student support services and access centres within each of the partner institutions.
Attract-Transition-Succeed launches this week within each campus of the West/North-West Cluster. This project is being launched during College Awareness Week 2018 and its launch during this event is significant as the aim of PATH 3 is to support and facilitate under represented student groups and communities to access, participate and succeed at third level.
Caption: Paul Hannigan, President; Dr Lynn Ramsey, Project Manager, West/North-West Higher Education Cluster; and Billy Bennett, VP for Academic Affairs & Registrar, at the launch of ‘The Attract-Transition-Succeed’ project at LYIT.