What is the 1916 Bursary Fund?

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. It is funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and aims to encourage participation and success by students who are most socio-economically disadvantaged and from groups most under-represented in higher education. To be eligible for a 1916 Bursary, all applicants must meet Financial, Target Group and College Entry eligibility criteria. Bursaries are awarded through regional clusters of higher education institutions. Each cluster has a limited number of bursaries which are awarded to the eligible applicants that present the greatest need.

1916 Bursary: South Cluster SOAR Project

The South Cluster is comprised of the following higher education institutions: Munster Technological University, South East Technological University and University College Cork. The 1916 Bursary is administered by the South Cluster’s SOAR Project on behalf of the three institutions. The SOAR Project is an inter-institutional Access initiative funded under the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) 3 Fund.

How much is the bursary worth?

There are three different types of bursaries – Tier 1, Tier 2 & Tier 3

Tier 1 Bursaries: Awardees will receive €5,000 per year for the normal duration of a full-time undergraduate programme and up to a maximum of six years for a part-time programme. The bursary will also be paid if the awardee progresses to postgraduate study.

Tier 2 Bursaries: Awardees will receive €2,000 per year for the normal duration of a full-time undergraduate programme and up to a maximum of six years for a part-time programme. The bursary will also be paid if the awardee progresses to postgraduate study.

Tier 3 Bursaries: Once-off bursaries of €1,500 payable for the 2023/24 academic year only 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

Who can apply for a 1916 Bursary? (Eligibility Criteria)

Applicants must meet financial, college entry and target group criteria in order to be deemed eligible for consideration for a bursary.

Financial Criteria:

• Applicants must demonstrate that they would qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant under the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant Scheme

and/or

• are in receipt of a Department of Social Protection (DSP) long-term means-tested social welfare payment including those on an orphans payment.

College Entry Criteria:

• Applicants must be first-time new entrants to higher education for undergraduate study

or

• be a second-chance socio-economically disadvantaged mature students where they have:
  • previously attended but not completed a course,
  • had a three-year break in studies since leaving the course, and
  • are returning to attend an approved course.
• 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.

• Applicants must be pursuing an approved full-time or approved part-time undergraduate course in one of the approved institutions in the regional clusters of HEIs.

Target Group Criteria:

Applicants must be from one or more of the following target groups:

• Students from communities, groups or areas that are socioeconomically disadvantaged or that have low levels of participation in higher education, including those who have experienced homelessness, the care system, survivors of domestic violence, and those who have experience of the criminal justice system
• Socio-economically disadvantaged mature students (23 or older on 1 January of their year of entry to higher education – and having never previously accessed higher education);
• “Second-chance” socioeconomically disadvantaged mature students. Such students may be considered for a bursary where they have:
  • previously attended but not completed a course, 
  • had a three-year break in studies since leaving the course, and 
  • are returning to attend an approved course.
• Students with a disability;
• Members of the Irish Traveller community;
• Members of the Roma community;
• Further education and training award holders progressing to higher education;
• Students who are carers (confirmed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) as holding a long-term means-tested carer’s allowance).
• Lone parents or teen 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;
• Students who are migrants, refugees or who are from ethnic minorities who are lawfully present in the State.

How and when can I apply?

Application dates for the academic yerar 23/24 have not been announced yet, please see www.1916bursary.ie for regular updates