Meath woman graduates with support of Uversity scholarship

Ashbourne woman, Karina Grustane, has graduated from Trinity College, Dubin with an honours Batchelors Degree in Biological and BioMedical Science

She was recently awarded a Uversity graduation certificate at a special ceremony at the Royal College of Surgeons, to celebrate her third-level academic achievements.

Uversity is a registered Charity providing Scholarships for mature students, from less advantaged backgrounds, to pursue their dreams of achieving a bachelor's degree in approved colleges and universities across the island of Ireland. This year, 22 students were awarded graduation certificates upon completion of their bachelor’s degrees.

Throughout her degree, Karina’s passion for genetics grew and she has gained experience in DNA sequencing, gene expression analysis, and the study of genetic disorders. She hopes to contribute to groundbreaking research and innovations in genetics that aim to improve human health and advance scientific understanding.

Scholarships are awarded based on an online written application, successful interview process and on demonstrated financial need. Recipients can choose to pursue a bachelor's degree in any discipline.

Uversity has been awarding third level scholarships to adult learners since 2018 and has awarded over 270 scholarships to date. A high percentage have subsequently graduated with first class honours degrees. Perspective students from all 32 counties are invited to apply and 54 scholarships were awarded for the 2024/25 academic year.

Uversity Programme Director, Gretta FitzGerald said: “We have seen first-hand how life- changing adult education can be for promoting personal and professional development. We

were delighted to recently celebrate the academic achievements of our 22 graduates. They are an inspiration, and we wish them the very best of luck in their future careers.”

Uversity Sponsor, Dermot Desmond said: “I have always been a firm believer in the power of education; the good it does both for an individual and the community as a whole. Therefore, it is heartening to see the commitment of our Uversity Scholars to their studies, and it’s a memorable achievement for the 22 graduates from across the island of Ireland. They should be extremely proud of themselves and their hard work.”

There are two levels of financial support available, depending on whether the scholarship recipient has dependent children. Those without dependent children will receive €5,000 per annum for their degree, while those with dependent children are awarded €7,000 per annum.

In 2019 Uversity was awarded Income Disregard status by the Department of Social Protection.

Visit www.uversity.org to learn more about the Uversity Scholarship Programme, including how to apply. The next application window opens in early 2025.