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Grants and Fees
SUSI
SUSI is Ireland’s national awarding authority for further and higher education grants. SUSI offers support to eligible students in approved, full-time courses at PLC, undergraduate and postgraduate levels and in some cases, to students studying outside Ireland.
Visit www.susi.ie for more information.
Students whose whole family income is reliant on Social Welfare can apply for the Student Levy Charge to be waived from their fees. For more information on Student Levy Charge waivers, visit this webpage here.
SUSI has an access officer who can provide assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities making an application and can act as a direct point of contact for an applicant with a disability. You can contact them by emailing AccessOfficer@susi.ie
All members of the deaf community can access our services through Irish Remote Interpreting Service (IRIS). An Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter service will be arranged on request for applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing. This free service is provided by the Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS), the national SLIS for Ireland. Deaf people can communicate with SUSI staff in their own language (Irish Sign Language) with an ISL interpreter on screen. To book an appointment with SUSI for this service, email AccessOfficer@susi.ie
Bursaries
Disabled Student Accommodation Bursary
Disabled students who have been offered a room in Trinity Accommodation (on campus or Trinity Hall) will be invited to apply for a means-tested Bursary. Trinity Development and Alumni support the Disabled Student Accommodation Bursary each year by donating money to support disabled students in financial need with their accommodation costs. The purpose of this bursary is to support disabled students with the cost of student accommodation who meet eligibility criteria.
For more information about the Disabled Student Accomodation Bursary, please visit our webpage here.
NCBI
NCBI Gerard Byrne Bursary honours the contributions of Gerard Byrne, who was a lifelong advocate for education. This Bursary consists of an annual grant for undergraduate students who are blind or vision impaired with a certified diagnosis from a registered eye health care professional and are studying on a full-time basis at a recognised educational institution in the Republic of Ireland. This programme aims to support students in third level to gain comprehensive education, and in turn, supporting the important transition to meaningful employment. For more information, please visit NCBI's website here.
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.
The 1916 Bursary 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, Priority Group
(Disabled Students included) and College Entry eligibility criteria. For more information, please visit the 1916 Bursary website here.
Society of St Vincent de Paul
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul recognises the importance of further education. However, for many people accessibility and affordability are real barriers to obtaining a third level education and training. The SVP Education and Training Bursary Fund has been established to support students of all ages who may financially struggle to access or stay in third level education and training programmes. The Bursary Programme will consider all recognised third level education and training programmes for funding. For more information, please visit the SVP website here.
TUSLA
TUSLA and DCEDIY have secured Dormant Accounts funding to provide a Bursary Scheme to young adults who have had a care experience of at least 6 months and are aged 18 or over. The funding is intended to support and assist them to achieve their full potential in education or training. This scheme will provide funding for young adults to access further education and to support their career development. It has been developed to support young people who are not receiving specific State funding for their education and/or training. Young people in receipt of SUSI can apply for equipment only – the bursary also provides support towards accredited courses taken outside of the Republic of Ireland/overseas. For more information, visit TUSLA's website here.
The Senior Tutor's Office hosts a number of benefactions which you can read about here.
Social Welfare (Department of Social Protection)
Disability Allowance
Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability. You can get DA from 16 years of age. You can get Disability Allowance even if you are in school. DA is a means-tested payment. The application form is available on Citizen's Information which includes a section to be completed by your doctor regarding your condition. For more information on the eligibility criteria for Disability Allowance and how to apply, visit the website here.
If you think you have been wrongly refused a social welfare payment you can appeal this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. You can also appeal if you are unhappy about any decision of a social welfare Deciding Officer or Designated Person (in the case of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme). You must appeal within 21 days of getting the decision on your claim.
For more information on appealing refused social welfare payments, visit this webpage here.
If you are on Disability Allowance, you could be eligible for the Free Travel Scheme. You can read more about the Free Travel Scheme at this webpage here.
Back to Education Allowance
If you are unemployed, parenting alone or have a disability and are getting certain payments from the Department of Social Protection (DSP), you may take part in a second-or third-level education course and get a Back to Education Allowance (BTEA).
BTEA is only paid for approved courses that start in Ireland or in Northern Ireland. However, you can be paid BTEA for a year abroad (for example, under the Erasmus scheme) if the year is an integral or mandatory part of your course. This must be verified by the registrar or admissions office of your college. For more information on the Back to Education Allowance, please visit this webpage here.
Day to Day Expenses
Student Assistance Fund (Higher Education Authority)
The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is operated by the Undergraduate/Postgraduate Student Support Officer on behalf of the Financial Assistance Committee and provides financial support to students who are experiencing short or long-term financial difficulties while attending higher education. The SAF is co-funded by the Irish Government and European Social Fund Program for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (ESF+) 2021 - 2027.
For more information on the Student Assistance Fund application if you're an Undergraduate, please visit the Senior Tutor's Webpage here.
For more information on the Student Assistance Fund application if you're a Postgraduate, please visit this webpage here.
Please note that HEAR/TAP students receive SAF support directly from TAP.
Trinity College Dublin Students' Union
Childcare
Every year the SU awards a financial grant to a number of student parents. This year, the grant amount is €30 over 20 weeks and is paid directly to a registered childcare provider. It is awarded to the students deemed to be in the greatest need. This will be advertised in the SU email at the start of the college year and is applied for through the welfare email address. For more information on student parent grants, contact the Students' Union Welfare and Equality Officer at welfare@tcdsu.org.
Laptop Loan Scheme
This scheme enables students to borrow a laptop for a maximum period of two weeks and the details are set out below. All laptops are configured to college specifications. For more information on how to apply for the Laptop Loan Scheme, please visit the Student Unions' website here.
Loans from the SU
The Students' Union allow students in financial need to borrow small sums of money from them when they need it. For more information on Loans from the Students' Union, contact the Welfare and Equality Officer at welfare@tcdsu.org.