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The 2027 Foundation Scholarship Examinations (Schol) application forms open on Monday, 28 September, at 9am and close on Wednesday, 14 October, at 5pm. This form should be submitted by the applicant and not by another party. A confirmation email will be sent via an intray message in my.tcd.ie 24 – 48 hours after application.

Students who have completed the application form must also complete the Confirmation of Attendance form. This form will open on 9 November and will close on 16 November . Students who do not complete both the application form and the confirmation of attendance form will not be scheduled to sit Foundation Scholarship examinations.

Students in their Senior Freshman year are eligible to take the Foundation Scholarship examinations. In exceptional circumstances students may defer them to the following year. Please note that students on programmes offered by Trinity’s Associated Colleges (the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), the LIR Academy and Marino Institute of Education (MIE)) are not eligible to apply to sit Foundation Scholarship examinations. 

Please consult your course handbook and the College Calendar for further details. Please also see the frequently asked questions.

A Foundation or Non-Foundation scholarship is tenured for five years, during which time the Scholar is entitled to free Trinity accommodation, their evening meal free of charge at Commons, a waiver of their tuition fees or student contribution (non-EU students’ fees are reduced by the value of EU fees) and a small annual stipend. Scholars are also entitled to use the post-nominal letters “sch.” after their name. This scholarship is a very prestigious and substantial award given to approximately 60 students each year.

Many Schools and Disciplines hold meetings to inform prospective candidates about the examinations. 

The Scholars themselves are also an excellent source of encouragement and advice and further information can be found on their website.

Key Dates

Candidates intending to present for these examinations must complete an online application form. This form should be submitted by the applicant and not by another party. A confirmation email will be sent via an intray message on their my.tcd.ie portal which may take up to 24 hours.

  • 28 September 2026 at 9am - 14 October 2026 at 5pm - submission of online applications
  • 9 November 2026 at 9am - 16 November 2026 at 5pm - submission of online confirmation of attendance form
  • 4 January 2027 -   8 January 2027 - Foundation Scholarship examinations (Please note it may be necessary to schedule some examinations in the preceding week.)
  • 26 April 2027 (Trinity Monday) at 10am - announcement of Election to Scholarship 2027

Applying

The link to the 2027 Foundation Scholarship Application form will open on Monday, 28 September, at 9am and close on Wednesday, 14 October, at 5pm.

The form you complete is dependent on the faculty you are in:

Trinity Joint Honours
Trinity Joint Honours students should be aware that the pathway they have chosen for their studies in SF year will influence the structure of their Foundation Scholarship Examinations. 

3 Major Papers and 1 Minor Paper
This form is only for TJH Students who are either

  • On the 'Single Honours' Pathway or
  • On the 'Major/Minor' Pathway and wish to sit 3 Major Papers and 1 Minor Paper.

2 Major Papers and 2 Minor Papers
This form is only for TJH Students who are either: 

  • On the 'Joint Honours' Pathway or
  • On the 'Major/Minor' Pathway and wish to sit 2 Major Papers and 2 Minor Papers.

Students on either TJH Single Honours Pathway or Major/Minor Pathway sitting 3 Major and 1 Minor paper should select 4 papers in total and will take 4 Schol examinations. Please consult the Trinity Joint Honours website to ensure the correct papers are chosen for your pathway.

Candidates who intend to sit the Foundation Scholarship examinations must also complete the confirmation of attendance form below.

Confirmation of Attendance

2027 Foundation Scholarship Confirmation of Attendance forms must be submitted between 9am on Monday 9 November and 5pm on Monday 16 November. The form will open at 9 am on Monday 9 November.

This form must be submitted only by those candidates who have already applied for the Foundation Scholarship examinations. Please note if you do not submit this form by the deadline, you will not be scheduled for the Foundation Scholarship examinations and will not be permitted to take the examinations.

Please note only online confirmation of attendance forms will be accepted.

This form should be submitted by the applicant and not by another party. A confirmation email will be sent via an intray message on their my.tcd.ie portal which may take up to 48 hours.

Exam Timetable

The timetable for the 2027 Foundation Scholarship exams will be available via my.tcd.ie

Intermission of Scholarship

Application should be made in writing to the Senior Lecturer of the College unless the applicant is a registered postgraduate student of the College, in which case application is made to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Intermission of tenure must be approved by the Board of the College.

https://www.tcd.ie/academicregistry/student-cases/

Entitlements for Scholars

As a Scholar of Trinity College, you may receive the following entitlements for the duration of your Scholarship:

  • Tuition fees paid, including the Registration Fee*
  • Commons free of Charge
  • College Rooms free of charge (except for deposit and utilities fee)
  • Annual salary of €253.95

*Undergraduate scholars from non-EU countries shall have their fees reduced by an amount corresponding to the appropriate fee level of an EU fee-paying student.

Commons

Scholars are entitled to Commons for the duration of their scholarship, details of which can be read through on the commons information page.

Rooms

Scholars are entitled to rooms for up to nine months of the year, typically from early October to June. Arrangements are made to accommodate those students who need to take up rooms early in the year (e.g. dental and medical students), and Scholars remain in rooms until after their last exam in June. Scholars do pay the energy/utilities charges during the year.

FAQs

For in more information about the Foundation Scholarship please visit our webpage here.

Reference Documentation