PLEASE NOTE THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE 1916 BURSARY FOR THE 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR IS NOW CLOSED
Information for Academic Year 2020-2021
What is the 1916 Bursary Fund?
The 1916 Bursary Fund was established by the Department of Education and Skills. The purpose of the Fund is to encourage participation and success by students who are most socio-economically disadvantaged and who are from groups most under-represented in higher education. All of the higher education institutions are awarding the Bursaries through regional clusters.
1916 Bursary Fund: South Cluster SOAR Project
The South Cluster is comprised of 5 higher education institutions: Cork Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Carlow, Institute of Technology Tralee, University College Cork and Waterford Institute of Technology. The bursary fund will be administered through the South Cluster’s SOAR Project. The SOAR Project is an inter-institutional Access initiative funded under the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Fund. The South Cluster have a total of 35 bursaries available to award to students applying to these higher education institutions.
What is the value of a 1916 Bursary?
Each student who is awarded the 1916 Bursary Fund will receive a bursary to the amount of €5,000 per annum for the normal duration of a full-time undergraduate programme. A bursary will be awarded for the normal duration of a part-time undergraduate course up to a maximum period of six years.
When is the application process open?
Applications for the 1916 Bursary for the 2020-2021 academic year will open on the 7th of May 2020.
Who can apply for a 1916 Bursary?
Eligibility Criteria; A to E, details below
A.) Applications will only be considered from students that meet the following eligibility criteria set out by the Department of Education and Skills:
Applicant is from socio-economically disadvantaged background and can provide evidence of such by demonstrating:
Applicant would be eligible for the Special Rate level of SUSI grant
AND / OR
The household / family gross reckonable income was less than €24,500 in 2019 and includes a Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) means-tested social welfare payment(s).
B.) Applicant must be from at least one of the following target groups:
- Socio-economically disadvantaged communities
- Socio-economic groups that have low participation rates in higher education;
- Students with a disability;
- Lone parents in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment;
- Irish Travellers;
- First time, mature student entrants;
- Students entering on the basis of a QQI Further Education award;
- Students from ethnic minorities who are lawfully present in the State and are:
- a national of a Member State, a state which is a contracting state to the EEA agreement or the Swiss Confederation,
- or person whose current immigration status or leave to remain under the Department of Justice and Equality, is one of the following:
- refugee (including programme refugees);
- subsidiary protection;
- permission to remain as the family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2006 and 2008 and EU Directive 2004/38/EC (EU Treaty Rights provisions);
- permission to remain because of marriage/civil partnership with an Irish national or as dependent child of such person;
- 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;
- permission to remain following a decision not to deport under Sections 3 of the Immigration Act 1999;
- permission to remain as a dependent child of a person who has acquired Irish Citizenship by naturalisation, residing in the State.; or
- a person granted permission to reside in the State under Section 49 of the International Protection Act 2015 (No.66 of 2015)
For further clarification, see section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011 and regulation 5 the Student Support Regulations 2020 (Statutory Instrument No. 77 of 2020).
C.) Be a new entrant, pursuing an undergraduate course and progressing to higher education for the first time in the 2020-2021 academic year.
D.) Have been resident in the Irish State for three of the past five years on the date on which the first year of study commences.
E.) Be studying an approved full-time or part-time undergraduate course leading to a major higher education and training award at Level 6 (Higher Certificate), Level 7 (Ordinary Bachelor Degree), Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree) on the national framework of qualifications or equivalent awards that take not less than two years to complete in one of the SOAR Project South Cluster Higher Education Institutions.
Who cannot apply for a 1916 Bursary?
- Students who are not first time entrants to higher education in the 2020-2021 academic year.
- Students who have already received a qualification at the same level.
- 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.
- Student who is paying non-EU fees
Queries
Please email all queries regarding the 1916 Bursary Fund: South Cluster SOAR Project to: [email protected]
Data Sharing
Data sharing arrangements will be in place between the participating South Cluster Higher Education Institutions, subject to data protection considerations.
How do I get more information?
Please email [email protected] if you have any further queries.
Main Campus Cork Road, Waterford City, 
