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 co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through 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 and College Entry eligibility criteria.

Each participating college has a limited number of bursaries which are awarded to the eligible applicants that present the greatest need.

How much is the 1916 Bursary worth?

• Tier 1: €5,000 per annum. In academic year 2023/24, Tier 1 Bursaries will be awarded to a total of 253 new entrant undergraduate students for the duration of their studies.
• Tier 2: €2,000 per annum. In academic year 2023/24, Tier 2 Bursaries were awarded to a total of 121 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 2023/24 academic year only). The number of Tier 3 bursaries to be paid will depend on the amount of remaining funding available to each cluster following the allocation of Tier 1 and 2 bursaries (including for continuing students and students progressing to postgraduate study).

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.

Additional details are provided by the PATH 2 HEA guidelines

Who can apply for a 1916 Bursary?

Any students entering year 1 of an (undergraduate) programme in the academic year (2023/24), full or part-time, with a household reckonable income less than €25,000 in 2022, who are in the identified priority groups, can apply for the bursary. Students who are entering directly to year 2 of a programme can also apply.

 What is the criteria to apply?

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