Sligo Credit Union's 2023 Educational Bursary Award Winners

Sligo Credit Union was delighted to award ten third-level students €1,000 each to go towards college-related expenses again in 2023. Since the bursaries' inception over 15 years ago, approximately €160,000 has been awarded to college students.

At a small awards ceremony held in Sligo Credit Union, 2023’s Educational Bursary Award winners collected cheques, including students from ATU Sligo, NUIG, and DCU. As third-level education costs continue to take their toll on students in Ireland, and with finance being a significant aspect of third-level life, it is Sligo Credit Union’s priority to help members as much as possible.

One successful award winner and Master of Accounting student at the University of Galway, Mark Connell, highlights: “The Educational Bursary will be used towards the remaining fees for the cost of the Masters and will significantly reduce the burden these fees can bring on top of accommodation and other living costs.”

In addition to offering Education Bursaries, Sligo Credit Union provides an affordable and discounted Education Loan rate of 6.96% APR* for college-associated expenses. It is important that students know a credit union loan is a far less expensive way to borrow money for college than using a credit card or going to a moneylender.

Sligo Credit Union’s Chairperson, Shona Heffernan, explains that they want to do as much as possible to ease the financial burden of third level. “We are keenly aware of the huge financial burden that third-level education places on students and their families in the Sligo area. We understand that because of the significant costs involved, many have no option but to borrow. We are always happy to work with students to ensure loan repayments are structured in the best way possible for their circumstances. There are never any hidden payments or transaction fees with a student loan.”

Shona continued: “As ethical lenders in Sligo Credit Union, we will never recommend that the student borrows more than they can repay or that the loan will put them in unnecessary debt. We are not-for-profit, so our only motive is to help the student and not to profit from their needs. So, we would really encourage students in the Sligo / Leitrim area to come and chat with us if they need a loan to get them through college.”

For a €5,000, 3-year variable interest rate loan with 36 monthly repayments of €154, an interest rate of 6.75%, and a representative APR of 6.96%, the total amount payable by the member is €5,537. Information is correct as of 02/06/2023.