Financial supports for students

The Student Grant Scheme is the main financial support scheme for full-time students. If you are studying certain part-time undergraduate courses, you can get support under the part-time fee scheme.

Other financial supports available for students in further and higher education include:

• Student Assistance Fund
• Fund for Students with Disabilities
• Bursary for Care Experienced Young People
• Student Accommodation Assistance
• 1916 Bursary Fund
• Other bursaries and scholarships

You may get the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) if you want to take part in a second-or third-level education course and you:

• Are unemployed
• Are parenting alone, or
• Have a disability and are getting certain payments from the Department of Social Protection (DSP)

The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial support to full-time or part-time students in higher education who are experiencing financial difficulties.

The Student Assistance Fund can help students with the costs such as:

• Books and class materials
• Rent, heating and lighting bills
• Food
• Essential travel
• Childcare costs for students that are parents
• Medical costs

The Student Assistance Fund is designed to provide financial support in addition to the student grant. It does not cover tuition fees, registration fees or student loan repayments.

Participating colleges

Universities, institutes of technology and some approved colleges participate in the Student Assistance Fund. See the full list of participating colleges on the HEA website.

The Student Assistance Fund is not available to students in further education or post-leaving certificate colleges.

How to qualify for the Student Assistance Fund

To qualify for the Student Assistance Fund, you must be:

• A full-time or part-time student in a university, institute of technology or other approved college
• On a course leading to a higher education award (National Framework of Qualifications Level 6-10)

How to apply for the Student Assistance Fund

Contact the access or student services section in your chosen college for information on:

• How to apply for the Student Assistance Fund
• The closing date for applications, if there is one (some colleges have a closing date)
• What documentation you need to support your application (this may include proof of your own or your parents’ income, and receipts for costs like rent, bills or childcare)

Applications are assessed by individual colleges and final decisions on awards may be taken by a small committee, including the access officer and student welfare officer. Funding amounts vary and will be decided by your college following an assessment process.

Read more about the Student Assistance Fund on the Higher Education Authority (HEA) website.

The Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) is one of the main funding sources for students with disabilities. The FSD is available to full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students.

You may be entitled to support under the FSD even if you did not access college through the Disability Access Route to Education (DARE scheme).

The FSD covers the following supports:

• Assistive technology equipment and software
• Non-medical helpers (for example, personal assistants or notetakers)
• Academic or learning support
• Deaf supports (including sign language interpreters and speedtext)
• Transport support

There are supports which are not covered by FSD. You can find out more about supports not covered by FSD on the HEA website.

Participating colleges

The FSD is available to students in:

• Universities
• Institutes of technology
• Further education and training colleges
• Post-leaving certificate colleges
• Other approved colleges
• Certain courses in EU and UK colleges and higher education institutions

See the full list of participating colleges on the HEA website.

How to qualify for the Fund for Students with Disabilities

To qualify for the FSD, you must:

• Have a disability in one or more of the categories outlined below
• Meet the nationality and residency criteria outlined below
• Be a full-time or part-time student
• Have a verified need for specific supports in order to attend your chosen course

Qualifying disabilities

The categories of disability that qualify for support under the FSD are:

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Blind or vision impaired
• Deaf or hard of hearing
• Developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia or dysgraphia)
• Mental health condition (for example bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, clinical depression, severe anxiety, severe phobias, OCD, severe eating disorders and psychosis)
• Neurological condition
• Significant ongoing illness
• Physical or mobility
• Specific learning difficulties (dyslexia or dyscalculia)
• Speech and language communication disorder

Residence

You must have been resident in the State for 3 of the previous 5 years before your approved course starts.

If you do not qualify at the beginning of your course, it is still possible to meet this requirement during the course of your studies. This should be reviewed at the beginning of an academic year.

Nationality and immigration status

You must be:

• An Irish national
• A national of another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, or the UK
• A non-EU national who is eligible for free or reduced fees under the Free Fees Initiative

Read more about nationality and residency criteria for FSD on the HEA website.

How to apply for the Fund for Students with Disabilities

You cannot apply directly for the FSD. Applications should be made on your behalf by your college.

You will need to:

• Register with the disability or access office in your college
• Provide medical verification of your disability (for example, a consultant’s report)

The college will then carry out a needs assessment to identify the appropriate supports required.

Funding is allocated to the college, not the student. The college is responsible for managing the funding and has full discretion on how the FSD is allocated.

The college uses the funding to support your needs as decided by a needs assessment. Generally, you will not need to organise services, supports or equipment yourself as this will by done by the college in consultation with you.

You should contact the disability or access office in your college for more information on how to apply for FSD and read about the FSD on the HEA website.

The Bursary for Care Experienced Young People is available, if you have had care experience of at least 6 months before your 18th birthday.

The bursary provides financial support towards the cost of tuition fees, up to a maximum of €2,000. This is paid directly to the college or other educational institution, not to the student. You will not be reimbursed for fees already paid to the college or educational institution.

To qualify, you must be:

• Aged 18 or over
• Not getting a student grant for fees
• Accepted on a college course or training programme (you will need to provide a letter from the relevant college or training centre confirming this)

Applications open on 9 September 2024 and the closing date is 5pm on Friday, 11 October 2024. Before you submit your application, you should consult with your Aftercare Worker or Aftercare Drop-in Service. Applications should be submitted by email to educationbursary2024@tusla.ie.

Read more about the Bursary for Care Experienced Young People on the Tusla website.

Student Accommodation Assistance helps students from certain backgrounds with the cost of accommodation when living independently while attending third level education.

You can apply for Student Accommodation Assistance if you:

• Are part of the Traveller community, or
• Are part of the Roma community, or
• Have experience of the care system between the ages of 16 and 18, and do not qualify for an aftercare allowance

You can apply if you are a full-time, part-time, postgraduate or mature student, or if you are repeating a year of study.

You cannot apply if you are an international or non-EU fee paying student, or if you are already receiving another form of accommodation support (for example, the Housing Assistance Payment).

What type of accommodation is the funding available for?

Funding is available for all types of accommodation, including:

• HEI owned purpose-built student accommodation
• Privately-owned purpose-built student accommodation
• Private rented accommodation
• Shared accommodation (privately rented)
• Digs accommodation

How do I apply for Student Accommodation Assistance?

Student Accommodation Assistance is only available through participating higher education institutions. You apply through the access office in your college.

Applications are open now. The closing date is 18 October 2024.

1916 Bursary Fund

The 1916 Bursary Fund provides funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are significantly under-represented in higher education.

To qualify, you must:

• Be starting an undergraduate course and progressing to higher education for the first time
• Have been resident in Ireland for 3 of the past 5 years
• Be studying an approved full-time or part-time course
• Show that your household income qualifies you for the special rate of student grant

You can use the Criteria Quick Check tool on the 1916 Bursary website to see if you are eligible. Read more about the 1916 Bursary and who it is for.

DFHERIS scholarship schemes

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) runs scholarship schemes, including:

• The All Ireland Scholarship Scheme
• The European University Institute Scheme

Read about other bursary and scholarship schemes on the HEA website.

Read more about grants and funds for students in further and higher education on the Higher Education Authority website.