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GEM Limerick Scholarship Scheme

Terrance Peterson

Hello,

I was wondering if there is anyone here who is currently doing GEM at UL on the university's scholarship scheme? I'm interested to know things such as how many scholarships are awarded (unlikely that anyone might know, I know) and when did you find out that you were successful in your application? I have applied to UL and hopefully will be attending this September.

On UL's GEM webpage they state that "students applying for entry to graduate entry medicine should not be inhibited if successful in their application due to lack of financial support".

However, I have heard that prospective students don't find out if they are successful until they are already enrolled onto the course. This means I would have already had to pay (correct me if i'm wrong) at least the first semester of fees as well as physically moved to Limerick and paid for accommodation. If this scholarship is designed to help students from socio-enomoniclly disadvantaged backgrounds then why do they not let students know if they have got the scholarship before they enrol?

Any help or general conversation from other scholarship hopefuls would be appreciated also. Thanks...

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maria0310

dublindoctor wrote: »

I went to UL and know several people who got the scholarship. There is roughly 10 given a year. They are awarded in october/november.

You apply for the scholarship before you even start the course and you do not need to pay fees to become registered, you are automatically registered when you accept your CAO offer. I used pay my fees at the end of the year, every year and it was never an issue, several people did this because those with loans paid less interest that way. I wouldn't be banking on the scholarship though, it would be great to get it but have a plan b ready.

Thanks a mil for the reply again!That has cleared up a lot. Do you know on what grounds the scholarship is awarded, I heard from some people it’s on financial means but some have said its a general theme of ‘hardships overcome’ etc?

Also as you have said, since we can pay fees at the end of the year I would probably wait to hear back about the scholarship and then apply for the loan if I dont get it

dublindoctor

maria0310 wrote: »

Thanks a mil for the reply again!That has cleared up a lot. Do you know on what grounds the scholarship is awarded, I heard from some people it’s on financial means but some have said its a general theme of ‘hardships overcome’ etc?

Also as you have said, since we can pay fees at the end of the year I would probably wait to hear back about the scholarship and then apply for the loan if I dont get it

yes that would be the best thing to do! The scholarship isn't 'means' based so to speak but it does play a role, it is award more so based on having overcome adversity more so that being under a certain income!

maria0310

dublindoctor wrote: »

yes that would be the best thing to do! The scholarship isn't 'means' based so to speak but it does play a role, it is award more so based on having overcome adversity more so that being under a certain income!

thanks! and do all loans for GEM require a guarantor?

medennial

maria0310 wrote: »

thanks! and do all loans for GEM require a guarantor?

It could be incorrect, but I spoke to one of the BOI loan officers at the UL Open Day and he said that a loan hasn’t been given out in the last 2 years without a guarantor. So even though BOI say they work with applicants to negate the need for a guarantor, apparently it doesn’t happen in practice.

I don’t have any personal experience of it (yet) of course so am open to correction

I’m just going off what the loan officer told me!

maria0310

medennial wrote: »

It could be incorrect, but I spoke to one of the BOI loan officers at the UL Open Day and he said that a loan hasn’t been given out in the last 2 years without a guarantor. So even though BOI say they work with applicants to negate the need for a guarantor, apparently it doesn’t happen in practice.

I don’t have any personal experience of it (yet) of course so am open to correction I’m just going off what the loan officer told me!

Thanks for the info!

AthenaFortuna

Hi all,

I was reading the 2018/2019 eligibility requirements for the scholarship, and saw that you must have entered third level education by a recognised Access route - does anyone know what exactly these are? If I entered my first degree solely by my A-level/school results am I now not eligible?

In previous years it had also mentioned applying on the basis of socio-economic disadvantage, and this doesn't appear to be there any more. If this has changed I would say a fair few people would now miss out on a chance, myself included. Cheers for any insight.

Anita Blow

The access routes are HEAR & DARE. HEAR being for those who applied and were accepted to that scheme when applying for their first degree on the basis of socioeconomic disadvantage. DARE being an access scheme for those who have a disability.

AthenaFortuna

Anita Blow wrote: »

The access routes are HEAR & DARE. HEAR being for those who applied and were accepted to that scheme when applying for their first degree on the basis of socioeconomic disadvantage. DARE being an access scheme for those who have a disability.

Thanks for the info. I guess I am no longer eligible then, I received financial help on the basis of my socioeconomic circumstances for my first degree, however as I studied in the UK (N. Ireland) and not through these routes I guess that rules me out. I wonder why they changed the requirements this year.

Ariana Grande

dublindoctor wrote: »

yes that would be the best thing to do! The scholarship isn't 'means' based so to speak but it does play a role, it is award more so based on having overcome adversity more so that being under a certain income!

Hi, I was planning on emailing UL about this but I was hoping you had some advice about this “overcoming adversity” aspect of the scholarship.

I went through foster care from the ages of 12-15 and then went into state care living in a care home from 15-18. Then renting on my own since then. I have no contact with my family (due to abuse suffered) and therefore wouldn’t have a loan guarantor on hand as easily as others. I’m also from an underprivileged area and have a medical card. I also was accepted on the HEAR (and DARE scheme due to mental illness) throughout my undergrad.

Do you think from who you know who received the scholarship, that my adversity would also qualify me to receive it? It’s just that I’m not from Limerick and I would have to move down there to study, so I need to make sure I get the scholarship before I put the course down as #1 on my CAO. Also I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t get the loan anyway.

If anyone else has any insights that would be great too, thanks.

maria0310

Hi does anyone know when the UL Med academic term starts for 1st year? I just read on the website that it starts in july but not sure if that applies to first years?

Beariski01

maria0310 wrote: »

Hi does anyone know when the UL Med academic term starts for 1st year? I just read on the website that it starts in july but not sure if that applies to first years?

The 3rd of September is the start of semester 1 for 1st and 2nd years this year

Bitches Be Trypsin

Hey all, aside from the fees being paid, what is the financial aid towards living expenses? I would literally be starting college with less than 1000 euro