1916 Bursary

Tier 1 – €5,000 per annum

More information: Bursaries for the duration of studies awarded to a total of 203 new entrant undergraduate students. Tier 1 bursaries will also be paid as a student progresses into postgraduate study. This means that students already in receipt of a 1916 Bursary and who are completing their undergraduate studies in 2020/21 will be entitled to continue to receive a bursary for postgraduate study.

Tier 2 – €2,000 per annum

More information: Bursaries for the duration of studies to a total of 120 new entrant undergraduate students who met the criteria for the 1916 Bursary but who did not ultimately qualify on the cluster’s order of merit for a Tier 1 bursary. Tier 2 bursaries will also be paid as a student progresses into postgraduate study which means that a recipient starting their undergraduate course in 2021/22 will later be entitled to continue to receive a bursary for postgraduate study.

Tier 3 – Once-off bursary of €1,500 payable for the 2021/22 academic year only

More information: This once-off bursary will be awarded to students who met the criteria for the 1916 Bursary but who did not ultimately qualify on the cluster’s order of merit for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 bursary. The provision of this once-off bursary is in recognition of the exceptional circumstances that incoming students will experience when starting college in 2021/22 and the impact of Covid-19 on family incomes of students from target groups.

Athlone Institute of Technology
Dublin City University
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dún Laoghaire
Institute of Technology Carlow
Institute of Technology Sligo
Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology
Marino Institute of Education
Mary Immaculate College
Maynooth University
Munster Technological University – Cork campus
Munster Technological University – Kerry campus
National College of Art and Design
National University of Ireland, Galway
RCSI – University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Technological University Dublin
Trinity College Dublin
University College Cork
University College Dublin
University of Limerick
Waterford Institute of Technology

Financial + Target Group + College Entry = Eligible for consideration

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they would qualify for the highest level (the special rate) of SUSI grant and/or are in receipt of a Department of Social Protection (DSP) long-term means-tested social welfare payment.

To qualify for the Special Rate of SUSI 2022:

Student must qualify for the ordinary rate of grant while;

• Total reckonable household income (2021) must not exceed €24,500;

and

• the 2020 reckonable household income must include an eligible long-term DSP payment

Eligible 1916 Bursary applicants must have been resident in the State (Republic of Ireland) for three of the past five years on the date on which their first year of study commences AND be from one or more of the following target groups:

• students from communities that are socio-economically disadvantaged or that have low levels of participation in higher education;
• first-time mature students (23 or older on 1 January of their year of entry to higher education);
• students with a disability (particularly those with a physical or mobility impairment, those who are deaf or hard of hearing and those who are blind or have a visual impairment);
• members of Irish Traveller community;
• further education and training award holders progressing to higher education;
• lone parents (confirmed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) as holding a long-term means-tested social welfare payment) – at least 20% of Tier 1 bursaries will be targeted at lone parents; and
• students from ethnic minorities who are lawfully present in the State

Applicants for the 1916 Bursary must:

• Be a new entrant pursuing an undergraduate course and progressing to higher education for the first time in the 2022-2023 academic year.
• Have been a resident in the Irish State for three of the past five years.
• Be studying an approved full-time or part-time undergraduate course

Applications for a 1916 Bursary should be made directly to these higher education institutions. Further information on the application process is available from the website or access office of the institution in which you intend to study.

• Supporting documentation can only be submitted by the upload facility on the online application.
• It is the responsibility of the applicant to upload all required supporting documentation by deadline.
• Upload clear, legible, complete copies of the original document including all pages front and back.
• Scan all documents in a PDF format. To merge PDFs, use an PDF / Adobe Acrobat or other software.
• Only supporting documentation uploaded to the online application will be considered.

Applicants are strongly advised to submit a personal statement to support their application addressing the following questions:

• Why you are applying for the 1916 Bursary Fund? (Refer to your individual circumstances and your decision to pursue higher education)
• Challenges you have experienced/will experience in accessing and participating in education? (e.g. personal, family, community, social, cultural, financial, disability etc.) Refer to the target group(s) you are applying under.
• What difference do you think the 1916 Bursary Fund would make to your higher education? Refer to your financial circumstances and overall college experience.

Application Checklist:

• Applications can only be made online.
• Complete the online application accurately.
• Only information and supporting documentation provided on the online application will be used to consider your application.
• Submit clear, complete, required supporting documentation.
• Ensure all documents are scanned in a PDF format before uploading

This term usually means that you live in an area of urban or rural disadvantage where not many people from that area go on to third level education by tradition or for financial reasons. You may have attended a DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) school. Your family income may mean that you may not be able to go to college without financial help. You may be from a socio-economic group that is under-represented in higher education. All of these factors, either individually or often combine, to mean that you have additional social and financial barriers to accessing higher education.

Students from ethnic minorities who are lawfully present in the State and are:

a national of an EU Member State, a state which is a contracting state to the EEA agreement, the UK or the Swiss Confederation,

or

a person whose current immigration status or leave to remain under the Department of Justice, is one of the following:

Refugee, Programme Refugee, Family Reunification:

A refugee or other person entitled for the time being to the rights and privileges specified in section 3 of the Refugee Act 1996, including a person granted:

Leave to enter and remain in the State as a programme refugee under section 24 of that Act, or

permission to enter and reside in the State as a family member of a refugee pursuant to section 18 of that Act;

A person who is, pursuant to the International Protection Act 2015:

given a refugee declaration under section 47(1) of that Act, or

a programme refugee under section 59 of that Act.

Subsidiary Protection:

A person, pursuant to the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 518 of 2006)

1. who the Minister for Justice and Law Reform has determined is eligible for the time being for subsidiary protection pursuant to Regulation 4 of those Regulations, or
2. to whom the Minister for Justice and Law Reform has granted permission for the time being in writing to enter and reside in the State pursuant to Regulation 16 of those Regulation.

A person, pursuant to the European Union (Subsidiary Protection) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 426 of 2013):

who is a person eligible for subsidiary protection and in relation to whom a subsidiary protection declaration is in force and to whom a permission to reside within the State has been granted pursuant to those Regulations; or

to whom the Minister for Justice and Equality has granted permission to enter and reside in the State pursuant to Regulation 25 of those Regulations; or

to whom the Minister for Justice and Equality has granted permission to reside in the State pursuant to Regulation 26 of those Regulations

A person who is given a subsidiary protection declaration under section 47(4) of the International Protection Act 2015.

European Communities (Free Movement of Persons Regulations) 2006 and 2008

A person who is a family member of a person who is a national of –

an EU Member State,

a state which is a contracting state to the EEA Agreement,

the Swiss Confederation, and

has permission to remain in the State as a family member of such person under the provisions of the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons Regulations) 2006 and 2008 and Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004.

Spouse, civil partner or dependent child of Irish national residing in the State

A person who has permission to remain in the State

(i) by virtue of marriage to, or a civil partnership with, an Irish national residing in the state, or

(ii) as a dependent child of a person coming with clause(i)

Dependent child of naturalized Irish citizen residing in the State

A person who has permission to remain in the State as a dependent child of a person who has acquired Irish Citizenship by naturalization, residing in the State.

Humanitarian leave to remain

A person in respect of whom the Minister for Justice and Equality has granted humanitarian leave to remain in the State under any enactment for the time being in force.

A person granted permission to reside in the State under section 49 of the International Protection Act 2015

Decision not to deport under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999

A person in respect of whom the Minister for Justice and Equality has granted permission to remain following a determination not to make a deportation order under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999.

For further clarification, see section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 5 the Student Support Regulations 2021 (Statutory Instrument No. 132 of 2021).

Students who are not first-time entrants to higher education.

Students in 2nd, 3rd or 4th year cannot apply. This bursary is for students who are entering First Year of an undergraduate programme in September/October 2022. Students who are repeating 1st year may apply if they are repeating due to a significant ‘life event’ which prevented successful completion of that year in a participating HEI.

Students who have already received a qualification at the same level as their current programme of study.

Students on a full-time or part-time undergraduate course in a publicly funded institution that takes less than two years to complete, or on the successful completion of which a student is awarded a major higher education and training award at level 5 or below on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Students whose reckonable income is assessed as over the maximum income limit, currently €24,500 gross for the family in 2020.

Persons who are in the protection system or the leave to remain or at deportation order stage are not eligible to apply for a 1916 Bursary.

Persons who are in the protection system or at the leave to remain (not at deportation order) stage however can apply to be considered for support under the Student Support Scheme for Asylum Seekers (otherwise known as the Student Support Scheme). Students who are currently living in direct provision are not eligible for support under the 1916 Bursary Fund; the only exception is in respect of those residents who have been granted either refugee status, subsidiary protection status or leave to remain, and who are currently transitioning out of direct provision.

Postgraduate students, unless you are a previous recipient of the 1916 Bursary, in which case you can find out more about extending your 1916 undergraduate bursary for your postgraduate study.

You will be paid by electronic transfer of funds from the HEI directly to your bank account. Payment will generally be by instalment for Tier 1 bursaries but may be paid in one sum for Tier 2 and Tier 3 bursaries. If your application is successful, you will be notified as to which payment plan is relevant to you.

Please refer to the Application Timeline.

Please refer to the section on Data Protection.

Yes. If you are eligible and awarded SUSI and the 1916 Bursary Fund you can keep both. The 1916 Bursary Fund is not counted as income when assessing SUSI.

No. You can get the 1916 Bursary with your SUSI, Social Welfare and you can apply for the Student Assistance Fund or Fund for Students with Disabilities, but not any other grant.

The payment from the 1916 Bursary is not counted as income by SUSI.

The 1916 Bursary does not affect your means tested or other payments from Social Welfare.

The 1916 Bursary Fund will not be counted as income when you are being assessed for any means tested payments.

Yes,  you can apply for the Student Assistance Fund at your HEI

Yes. Find out more about how to apply for disability supports at www.accesscollege.ie

You would be expected to keep within the rules and regulations of your institution.

You would be expected to agree to any assessment set out by your institution for your course:

You would be expected to agree to the department managing the 1916 Bursary confirming that you have passed each year of your course.

You would be expected to meet with a Student Advisor in your institution at least twice per year.

You may be asked to attend or be part of events organised by the institution to increase awareness of the 1916 Bursary. This is not compulsory.

You will be required to sign a Student Contract if you are successful in your application.

In the case of Tier 1 and 2 bursaries, bursary holders are permitted to defer their bursaries at undergraduate level for a maximum of one academic year with the prior written approval of their HEI. Deferral may occur before the student commences their studies or during their studies. The HEA must be kept appraised of any such deferrals as part of the progress reporting process.

Bursary recipients who wish to defer their postgraduate study may do so for a maximum one academic year with the prior written approval of their HEI. Deferral may occur before the student commences their studies or during their studies. A student who has not yet applied for a postgraduate course may also defer their bursary for a maximum of one year. The HEA must be kept appraised of any such deferrals as part of the reporting process.

No. The 1916 Bursary is only open to entering first year Undergraduate Students. However please note if you are a previous or current holder of the 1916 Bursary you can apply to continue your Bursary for postgraduate studies.

No. The 1916 Bursary is only open to entering first year Undergraduate Students.

Applications from those due to repeat Year 1 of their undergraduate programme will only be considered in cases where evidence is supplied that a significant life event was the reason for poor performance in the last academic year. Examples of such life events include major ill health which was certified at the time, pregnancy, bereavement in the immediate family.

Please refer to Making an Appeal.

The 1916 Bursary cannot be paid for a repeat year unless the institution agrees that there were “exceptional circumstances” i.e., medical or personal reasons why you could not complete the year. You would be expected to provide written evidence of your illness or personal situation from a professional outside your family group.

You can apply for the Student Assistance Fund at your HEI

All students awarded the bursary will have to verify all claims made on application to other funds such as the Student Assistance Fund.

Your application will be assessed based on the information provided on the application form and the supporting documents you provide. Please refer to the Path 2 1916 Implementation Guidelines 2022/23.

Please contact Declan Reilly, National Coordinator of the 1916 Bursary.