Student Financial Support
Recognising that affordability can be a barrier to a obtaining a Degree, the Tertiary Degree pathway helps to remove some of those funding barriers. To assist, we have highlighted some of the support and help to students who are taking a Tertiary Degree.
One benefit of studying for a degree through the Tertiary Degree pathway, is that there are no tuition fees or student contribution fees for the duration of the education delivered by the ETB. The Free Fees Initiative and student contribution arrangements will apply to the duration of tuition delivered by the Higher Education Institutions on the Tertiary Degree. Students will have to meet eligibility criteria of the Free Fees Initiative while undertaking the higher education part of programme, otherwise the standard student contribution arrangements will apply.
Tertiary students are eligible to apply for SUSI grants for the duration of the education delivered by both the Education and Training Board and Higher Education Institution subject to the normal eligibility criteria. There is also various funding available for those returning to full time education: including funding for students with disabilities, student assistance funding and back to education allowances. The HEA website has further detail on this.
Tertiary applicants may be eligible for the 1916 Bursary fund. This fund aims to encourage participation and success by students who are most socio-economically disadvantaged and from groups most under-represented in higher education. More information including a list of eligibility criteria can be found on their website.
Students registered on tertiary programmes and who have a valid Higher Education Institutions student number are eligible to apply for the SAF through the partner Higher Education Institutions, subject to meeting the criteria outlined.
Students registered on tertiary programmes and who have a valid Higher Education Institutions student number are eligible for supports under the FSD subject to the criteria set out elsewhere in these guidelines. To ensure a seamless transition from further education to higher education, eligible students on tertiary programmes should be supported by the higher education FSD funding operated by the partner Higher Education Institutions.
University of Sanctuary Ireland (UoSI) is an Irish initiative to encourage and celebrate the good practice of universities, colleges and other education institutes in welcoming refugees and protection applicants / people seeking asylum into their university communities and fostering a culture of welcome and inclusion for all those seeking sanctuary.
A full list of Higher Education Institutions that offer sanctuary scholarships can be found at on their website. There are a limited number of scholarships available for each Higher Education Institutions.
The Higher Education Temporary Tuition Fee Support Scheme for Displaced Persons (Ukraine) in academic year 2022/23 was published last year by Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. For the purposes of the Higher Education Institutions part of the programme, Ukrainian nationals who are qualified for protection under Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015, will be treated as European students and will be eligible for the Free Fees Initiative. Students who are eligible for the Free Fees Initiative are required to pay a student contribution charge of €3,000 per year (2023/24 academic year). Ukrainian nationals with Section 60 protection are also eligible to apply to SUSI for a grant towards their student contribution or tuition fees. It was confirmed by the Minister that these supports will continue for academic year 2023/24.
For more information on this you can check gov.ie
All tertiary students that are registered on a full-time Tertiary Degree validated by publicly funded Higher Education Institutions, are eligible to apply for the Erasmus National Grant for displaced Ukrainian students in receipt of Temporary Protection for the duration that they are pursuing their Tertiary Degree studies.
Students carrying out their full-time studies in Higher Education Institutions, who are fleeing the aggression in Ukraine, can avail of an Erasmus stipend of €1,150 per month of study. They may also qualify for support under the temporary tuition scheme.
For the most up to date information on Ukraine Student Fees and Financial Support Update visit gov.ie