What is the 1916 Bursary?

The 1916 Bursary is a financial award to encourage the participation and success of students from sections of society that are significantly under-represented in higher education.

What are the criteria?

Financial + Priority Group + College Entry = Eligible for consideration.

To see if you may be eligible to apply for a 1916 Bursary, please see the Criteria Quick Check page.

What are the College Entry criteria?
Applicants for the 1916 Bursary must:

• Be a new entrant pursuing an undergraduate course and progressing to higher education for the first time
• 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

How much is the Bursary worth?

Tier 1: €5,000 per annum. In 2025/26, Tier 1 Bursaries will be awarded to a total of 400 new entrant undergraduate students for the duration of their studies.

Tier 2: €2,000 per annum. In 2025/26, Tier 2 Bursaries were awarded to a total of 200 new entrant undergraduate students for the duration of their studies. Tier 2 Bursaries will be awarded to applicants who meet the criteria for the 1916 Bursary but who did not ultimately qualify for a Tier 1 bursary.

Tier 3: Once-Off Bursary (€1,500 payable for 2025/26 academic year only). The number of Tier 3 bursaries is to be determined based on existing underspends in the system from 2024/25 and the remaining balance after continuing (including postgraduate) bursaries have been allocated for 2025/26.

Tier 1 and 2 bursaries will also be paid as students progress into postgraduate study. This means that students already in receipt of a 1916 Bursary and who are completing their undergraduate studies will be entitled to continue to receive their bursary for postgraduate study.

For further information on how the 1916 Bursary is managed, please see the HEA
PATH 2 Guidelines for 2025/26

How and when can I apply?

Applicants must apply online via the 1916 Bursary Application Portal, see link above.

Before you start your application, please refer to www.1916Bursary.ie for guidance on eligibility criteria, how to apply, supporting documentation required and all other application details. 

Applications are due to open on 04 September 2025 and will close at 5pm 10 October 2025.

The online application portal is available at: https://www.1916bursaryportal.ie/en-US/

Further Information / Queries

Please contact 1916bursary@susi.ie for further information.