Many different factors can inhibit a student’s progress to higher education, but there are schemes in place to make third-level education more accessible to both school-leavers and mature students. Though Government grants are available to make things easier, the application process can be hard to navigate. Here, we have collected the most important information in the one place, breaking down the application process, eligibility criteria and deadlines for the most popular schemes.
Susi
Student Universal Support Ireland (Susi) is Ireland’s national awarding authority for further and higher education grants. In the last year alone, it has awarded funding to more than 75,000 students. Eligible students, from school-leavers to mature students returning to education, in approved courses at PLC, undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Ireland, and in some cases, students studying in the UK or EU, may apply for funding.
There are two types of funding available: fee grants and maintenance grants. Fee grants pay tuition fees for students who do not qualify for the Free Fees Scheme and can cover the student contribution and the cost of essential field trips. Meanwhile, maintenance grants help students with their day-to-day living costs and are paid directly to the student’s bank account through nine monthly instalments over the course of the academic year.
Susi grants are means tested, meaning eligibility is largely determined by the student and their parent/guardians’ total income. The type of grant the student qualifies for therefore depends on whether they are independent or dependent on their household income. Further to this, maintenance grants are paid at two rates: adjacent and nonadjacent. The adjacent rate is paid when a student’s college is fewer than 30km from their normal residence. The non-adjacent rate is paid when a student’s college is 30km or more from their normal residence. Susi applications will open in spring 2025, likely in April, and it is worth applying to early in order to ensure that funds are in place before the beginning of the college year.
RM Block
Hear
School-leavers from socially disadvantaged backgrounds who are underrepresented in third-level education are able to avail of the Higher Education Access Route (Hear) admission scheme. Under Hear, a number of third-level places are reserved on a reduced points basis, meaning that eligible students may be offered a place even if they do not have enough Leaving Certificate points for their preferred course. The number of points a course is reduced by depends on the number of places on the course, the number of places reserved for Hear on the course, and the number of Hear-eligible applicants competing for these reserved places.
If you get a place through Hear, you will receive a variety of academic, personal and social supports while at college, including an orientation programme, extra tuition, one-to-one meetings with student advisers, mentoring and advice regarding grants and scholarships. School-leavers under the age of 23 are able to apply to Hear but have to meet certain criteria relating to their financial, social and cultural circumstances. Six indicators will be taken into account: household income, whether or not their guardian holds a medical card, if their household has received social welfare payments, the socio-economic group they are part of, if they have attended a Deis school, if their area is socially disadvantaged. Of these six indicators, students must meet the low-income indicator and a combination of two other indicators. Applications for Hear opened on the CAO website in November 2024 and supporting documents must be submitted by March 15th, 2025.
Dare
The Disability Access Route to Education (Dare) is an alternative higher-level admissions scheme for school-leavers under the age of 23 who, as a result of having a disability, have had additional educational challenges in second-level education. Under Dare, a number of course places are reserved at a lower or reduced points level for applicants who may not be able to meet the points for their preferred course due to the impact of their disability. Dare students will be offered various educational, technological and personal supports while studying. These supports include an orientation programme (before courses start), learning support, assistive technology, library support, exam accommodations, education support workers and academic tuition.
To be eligible, applicants must meet specific criteria that assess the significance of each disability and its impact on educational attainment. As part of the application, the student and their school will be asked to provide details as to how their disability has impacted their second-level experience through the Educational Impact statement, specifying the kinds of supports they have received during their schooling, how their disability may have disrupted their attendance and how it has affected their wellbeing, learning and exam results. Applicants also must have an appropriate medical professional complete the evidence of disability section of the application. Applicants must disclose their disability in their CAO application by March 1st, 2025, and return additional documentation by post to CAO to arrive by March 15th, 2025.
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