– Wind-powered financial support available for first-year students from Tyrone, Derry-Londonderry, Fermanagh and Donegal –
7 October 2025: Applications open for the 2025 SSE Renewables Scholarship Fund, offering £200,000 in financial support to first-year students pursuing third-level education in STEM subjects in Northern Ireland.
Now in its eleventh year, the SSE Renewables Scholarship Fund – which is backed by funds from SSE’s major wind farms in Northern Ireland – has supported over 500 students since its launch in 2014, providing more than £1.6 million so far in critical funding to help ease the financial burden of college fees.
This year the wind-powered funding available is now topping £200,000, which it is estimated will power a financial boost to around 60 new full-time third-level students.
The fund is open to students living in counties Tyrone, Derry-Londonderry, Fermanagh and Donegal, and provides up to 50% of third-level education fees for those studying at Ulster University, South West College and North West Regional College.
The SSE Renewables Scholarship Fund is backed by the company’s Regional Fund for Slieve Kirk Wind Park and Tievenameenta Wind Farm, as well as Slieve Divena II Wind Farm, owned by Greencoat Renewables.
SSE Renewables is Northern Ireland’s leading developer and operator of renewable energy. Over the past two decades, it has invested over £500 million in the region’s economy through the delivery and operation of new clean energy infrastructure. The company owns 117MW of operational onshore wind capacity in Northern Ireland, including the 73MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park, the region’s largest wind farm.
Speaking at the launch of the 2025 SSE Renewables Scholarship Fund, Vicky Boden from SSE Renewables, said: “We’re excited once again to open the 2025 SSE Renewables Scholarship Fund for new applicants. With £200,000 in funding available this year we will be able to support around 60 new students from local communities around our major wind farms in pursuing their third-level education.
“Each year we are seeing more and more interest in our Scholarship Fund, and we know it is having a really positive impact. By helping remove financial barriers we’re opening up opportunities for young people. Working with Ulster University, South West College and North West Regional College, we’ve already supported over 500 students in pursuing their STEM education ambitions and we are looking forward to supporting many more this year and translating that support into creating new career opportunities.”
Applications to the SSE Renewables Scholarship Fund are now open, with completed submissions to be sent to the student’s chosen institution by Friday, 7 November 2025.
For more information and details on how to apply, visit: sserenewables.com/scholarshipfunds
