Gaelic Bursary Scheme Worth £500 - £1000

3rd September 2012

Still time to apply for Highland Council and University of the Highlands and Islands Gaelic Bursary Scheme

Students wishing to learn, or study through the medium of Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI and Lews Castle College UHI are being invited to apply for a Gaelic Bursary Scheme. The deadlines for applications submitted to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is Friday 14 September, and to Lews Castle is Friday 21 September 2012.

The Gaelic Bursary Scheme is administered by UHI and jointly funded by The Highland Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Students wishing to apply to this scheme are required to be resident and attending UHI within The Highland Council and the Western Isles Council administrative areas.

The Scheme is aimed at students wishing to learn, or study through the medium of Gaelic, with priority given to students in their first year of study who hope to gain a CertHE, DipHE or BA.

Application forms are available from both Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI and Lews Castle College UHI Applications for the bursaries are made through either Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI or Lews Castle College UHI (depending upon which education partner applicants to the Scheme are studying at).

The number of bursaries and the amount of each bursary will depend on the level of interest and the merit and eligibility of individual applications, but will usually be in the range of £500 - £1,000.

Councillor Hamish Fraser, Chairman of The Highland Council's, Gaelic Implementation Group said: "We are delighted to be in a position to offer continued support to selected students who wish to study at SMO, especially as this is one of the many enabling actions in the Councils draft Gaelic Language Plan."

He continued: "I hope that the students who are awarded the Council/UHI Bursaries will go on to contribute to the preservation and development of Gaelic especially within the education sector, and I wish them every success with their studies."

Mr John Norman MacLeod, Director of Studies at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (UHI Gaelic Scheme Co-ordinator) added: "We are extremely grateful to The Highland Council for the generous support to the UHI Gaelic Bursary Scheme. Interest in, and numbers recruited to the UHI Gaelic degrees continue to grow and the bursaries are extremely welcome and valuable in supporting students with their studies and other related costs."

Dr Iain Morrison, UHI Head of Student Services, commented that: "The Gaelic Bursary from The Highland Council makes a direct and significant impact on the lives of its recipients. Without it, there is no doubt that the students would struggle financially and might have to drop out. The University welcomes the Council's on -going support for our Gaelic speaking students as a sign of its commitment to both the Gaelic language and our own development as a University serving the needs of our entire region."

The deadlines for applications submitted to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is Friday 14 September and to Lews Castle is Friday 21 September 2012.

Anyone requiring additional information should please contact the local Student Support Teams. Students applying to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI should contact the following address: sm00smh[AT]uhi.ac.uk.