We are delighted to announce the recipients of our 2026 HSSCU Higher Education Scholarships.
Congratulations to our Higher Education Scholarship winners, who will share €50,000 in funding to support their third-level education!
Once again, we received an outstanding number of applications, highlighting the incredible talent, ambition and dedication of our members. The standard of submissions was exceptionally high, making the selection process a challenging one for our judging panel.
After careful consideration, we are thrilled to announce that eight members have been selected as this year’s scholarship recipients. Every applicant should be proud of the effort and commitment demonstrated throughout the application process.
2026 Scholarship Recipients
We are delighted to announce our 2026 Scholarship Winners:
- Amanda Hendrick – Psychotherapy and Counselling, IICP Tallaght
- Naomi Walsh – Autism Studies, University College Cork
- Judy McCarthy – PhD, Doctor of Philosophy, University College Dublin
- Katherine Manalili – MSc in Neonatal Nursing, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
- Ruby-Jo Byrne – Arts, Maynooth University
Runner-ups
- Esther Gbemisola Olawuyi – Social Care, Open Training College
- Robert Grendo – International and European Law, KU Leuven
- Claire Devoy – Medicine and Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
We are incredibly proud to support these members as they take the next step in their educational journeys. We wish each of them every success in the years ahead and look forward to seeing all they achieve.
All of this year’s Scholarship winners have been contacted directly. While only a small number of applicants could be selected, we would like to thank every member who applied and encourage you to apply again. The quality of applications received was truly inspiring, and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their educational goals and aspirations with us.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to all applicants and encourage those who were not successful this year to apply again in 2027 if eligible.
Scholarship Applications 2027
Our annual €50,000 Scholarship Fund is one of the key benefits of HSSCU membership and remains one of the largest scholarship programmes offered by any credit union in Ireland. It is an initiative that is proudly Made By Our Members, helping members invest in their future and achieve their educational ambitions.
Applications for our 2027 Scholarships will open at the beginning of summer 2027. As a reminder, applicants must be HSSCU members to apply. If you are not yet a member, now is the perfect time to join and become part of a community that supports education, opportunity and lifelong learning.
If you have a student at home that will be doing their leaving cert next year – they should open an account with HSSCU now (see conditions below) in plenty of time for next year. The 6 months of transactions can catch people out.
Important Information
- Prospective applicants are required to have joined HSSCU prior to March 1st in the year of application.
- The applicant must be a member – they can’t apply using their parents account number.
- A minimum balance of €50 (excluding the entry fee for HSSCU’s Member Prize Draw) must be maintained in this account for a minimum of 6 months prior to the application closing date.
- There must be a minimum of one transaction per month (not including the Member Prize Draw) on the applicant’s account.
