Thanks to the support of our many donors, including those contributing to our Alumni Fund, Galway University Foundation works with the University of Galway Access Centre to help fund the university's Access Programmes. 

Proudly exceeding national targets for access entrants, University of Galway's Access Programmes are designed to provide a supportive educational environment which prepares students academically and personally for a full-time undergraduate degree at third level. Supporting them through their time at university by providing mentoring programmes and other areas of support.

The courses are specifically designed for students who have a real desire to study at third level but are unable due to financial or social reasons.

University of Galway’s Access students can be either school leavers or mature students who are generally part of under-represented groups in higher education. They are mainly from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities and mature students including adults who may be in low paid employment.

The Nelson Mandela Fund is founded by University of Galway to promote Mandela's legacy of courage and persistence in combating race inequalities and oppression during apartheid and promoting non-racism, non-sexism, peace, and reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa.

He showed the world that true leadership is rooted in empathy and understanding and University of Galway is committed to embedding Mandela’s legacy across the institution.

While there has been a strong commitment to create a fair and equal society, racial inequalities still exist in our everyday lives within higher education and wider society in Ireland.

The mission of the fund is to enable, empower and embed a culture of race equality throughout University of Galway and our communities.

Underpinned by the university’s Race Equality Framework and Action Plan, this newly created fund will benefit the entire university community by helping to advance race equality across our campus. It will secure our place as a global leader for our impactful and inclusive teaching, research and innovation, our staff and student experience, and our passion for culture and creativity.

The fund will contribute towards a range of scholarships to promote a culture of welcome and inclusion for Irish Travellers, International Protection Applicants, refugees and other immigrant groups experiencing exclusion, including:

University of Sanctuary Scholarship Programme

As a designated  University of Sanctuary  we aim to increase public awareness on international protection, migration and nomadism, in an effort to address the low levels of participation of underrepresented groups in third-level education.

International protection applicants, refugees, vulnerable immigrant groups and Irish Travellers are too frequently excluded from participation in education due to inequitable societal barriers, and we feel that through our initiatives and actions we can make Galway's community a much more inclusive and equitable space for all.

The University of Sanctuary Scholarship (UoS) Programme opened for applications in 2019 and is designed to increase participation at University of Galway among International Protection applicants, refugees, vulnerable immigrant groups and Irish Travellers.

To date, the scholarship programme has welcomed 71 students from 24 countries to the University.

Scholars at Risk Scholarship Programme

Around the world today, scholars are attacked because of their words, their ideas and their place in society. Those seeking power and control work to limit access to information and new ideas by targeting scholars, restricting academic freedom and repressing research, publication, teaching and learning. 

The Scholars at Risk Network responds to these attacks. Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network of higher education institutions dedicated to protecting threatened scholars, preventing attacks on higher education communities and promoting academic freedom worldwide.

The Scholars at Risk Scholarship Programme at University of Galway will open for applications in the 2025 -2026 academic year.