An anonymous donor has offered €500,000 over five years to sponsor graduates to undertake a Masters at UCD's Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
The 'Aspire' scholarships will fund up to 60 students, who otherwise would not be able to afford fourth level education, to attend the business school.
'Not only is this a very generous donation, it is very positive for the recovery of the Irish economy,' commented Professor Tom Begley, Dean of UCD Smurfit School.
This year three MBA and nine specialist Masters scholarships are on offer. The selection of candidates will be based mainly on financial need and the fund will initially run over a five year period.
The scholarship will pay 50% of the the tuition fees for each of the successful students and the applications will be reviewed by a board chaired by Ulster Bank's CEO Cormac McCarthy.
