George Mitchell scholarship: Concern over future funding

There are concerns over the future funding of a scholarship allowing US college students to pursue a year of postgraduate study in Ireland.

The programme was set up by the US-Ireland Alliance to honour US Senator George Mitchell who helped broker the Good Friday peace agreement in 1998.

The Mitchell scholarship has supported hundreds of US students over the years.

Concern over the scholarship’s future come as the 25th anniversary of the peace deal approaches this April.

The scheme was set up by the non-profit US-Ireland Alliance, whose president Trina Vargo is a former senior US foreign policy advisor.

She has written to the US President Joe Biden, as well as the Irish government to urge them to help secure the long-term funding of the scholarship.

A number of former Mitchell scholars are now in important positions in public life in the US.

The scholarship scheme began in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement, with the first intake graduating in 2001.

“Every year in the US there is a national competition,” Ms Vargo told BBC Radio Foyle.

“On average between 300 and 400 people apply every year for one of our 12 scholarships for a year of graduate school on the island of Ireland.

“The point and the idea is for them to have connections to Ireland long after they leave.”

Ms Vargo said the US-Ireland Alliance was attempting to raise enough funds to ensure the long-term future of the scholarship.

“We have already picked the next class of ’24 and I’m sure we will pick the next class of ’25 but the maths is simple after that,” said Ms Vargo.

“You either have the endowment and you can pass it on or you don’t see that endowment in sight and you may have to decide to wrap it up.

“Either process of passing it on or wrapping it up can take up to a solid seven years… so time is of the essence more than it has ever been before.”

Ms Vargo, who is a former aide to Senator Ted Kennedy, said she had spoken with his great-nephew Joe Kennedy III, who is the incoming United States special envoy to Northern Ireland.

She said confirming the long-term future of the Mitchell scholarship would be a “good objective” for Mr Kennedy to achieve as envoy “on the people-to-people front”.

She said the US and the island of Ireland shared a special relationship and special ties that connect them should be protected.