Am I eligible to apply for HEAR (Higher Education Access Route)?

The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university scheme that offers places on reduced points and extra college support to those who are resident in the Republic of Ireland and underrepresented at Higher Education due to their socio-economic background. It is for school leavers under the age of 23 as of 1 January 2022. HEAR applicants, like all CAO applicants, must meet the minimum entry and course requirements to be considered for one of the reduced points places.

Benefits of the HEAR scheme:

Successful HEAR applicants can gain access to their chosen course with reduced Leaving Certificate points. Students will receive a variety of academic, personal, and social supports while at college. Examples of extra college supports may include an Orientation Programme to introduce you to college life, extra tuition if required, study skills and exam preparation,  one to one meetings with student advisors, Social gatherings/mentoring and extra financial assistance when available.

HEAR applicants must meet a range of financial, social, and cultural indicators to be considered for a reduced points place and extra college support.

What are the financial, social, and cultural indicators?

To be eligible for the HEAR Scheme, you must meet Indicator 1 (Low Income) plus a specific combination of two other indicators.  If your family income is less that the HEAR Income limit and you think you may meet a correct combination of the other HEAR indicators, you should consider applying to HEAR.

Here is a list of all the HEAR indicators:

1.      Income

The HEAR Income Limit varies depending on the number of dependent children in the family. If there are fewer than 4 dependent children, the income limit is €45,790. If there are between 4 -7 dependent children, the income limit is €50,325. And if there are more than eight dependent children, the income limit is €54,630. Add €4,670 to the total income for every sibling/parent enrolled in a full-time college, university, or Post Leaving Certificate further education course. HEAR requires evidence of a full year’s income for 2020 (i.e. 52 weeks).

2.      Medical Card

Your family has a Medical Card/GP Visit Card that was in date on 31 December 2021.

3.      Means-Tested Social Welfare Payment

Your family received a means-tested payment from the Department of Social Protection for at least 26 weeks in 2020.

4.      Socio-Economic Group

You belong to a group that is under-represented in higher education based on the occupation and employment status of your parents or guardians.

5.      DEIS School Attendance

You completed five years in a second level school that takes part in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) scheme run by the Department of Education and Skills.

6.      Area Profile

You live in an area where there is concentrated disadvantage – in other words an area where, for example, there is high unemployment and poverty and where only a small proportion of adults have attained third level education.

You must fall under one of the combinations of indicators below to take part in the HEAR Scheme:

-          Indicator 1 + 2 + 4 or 5 or 6

-          Indicator 1 + 3 + 4 or 5 or 6

-          Indicator 1 + 4 +5 or 6

-          Indicator 1 + 5 +6

How do I make a HEAR application?

1.      Apply online to CAO by 17:00 on 1 February 2022.

2.      No later than 17:00 on 1 March 2022, indicate in your CAO application that you wish to apply for the HEAR scheme and fully and correctly complete all elements of the online HEAR application form. Once you have completed the HEAR application form you will get a checklist which tells you which documents you need to supply.

3.      Post your supporting documents to arrive in CAO no later than 17:00 on 15 March 2022. Make sure to get proof of postage when posting your documents and put your name and CAO number at the top of each document.

What colleges participate in the HEAR scheme?

-          Athlone Institute of Technology

-          Munster Technological University Cork Campus

-          Dublin City University

-          Dundalk Institute of Technology

-          Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology

-          Galway Mayo Institute of Technology

-          Institute of Technology Carlow

-          Institute of Technology, Sligo

-          Munster Technological University Kerry Campus

-          Letterkenny Institute of Technology

-          Limerick Institute of Technology

-          Marino Institute of Education

-          Mary Immaculate College

-          Maynooth University

-          National College of Ireland

-          NUI Galway

-          Pontifical University, Maynooth

-          RCSI University of Medicine & Health Sciences

-          St. Angela’s College, Sligo

-          Technological University Dublin

-          Trinity College Dublin

-          University College Cork

-          University College Dublin

-          University of Limerick

-          Waterford Institute of Technology

What happens after my application is submitted and assessed?

You will be notified by email of the outcome of your HEAR application by the end of June. If you do not receive any correspondence by July 1, contact a member of the HEAR team. If you are eligible for a HEAR place, this means you can now compete for one of the reduced points places on offer in the colleges taking part in HEAR. Successful HEAR applicants will then be made offers by the CAO at the offer stage in August.

Can I apply to both DARE and HEAR?

YES, you should apply to both DARE and HEAR if they are relevant to you. Applicants who apply and are deemed eligible for both DARE and HEAR will be prioritised by the participating colleges and universities when offering their reduced points places.

For more information on making a HEAR application, go to https://accesscollege.ie/hear/ . It is an excellent website and contains all the relevant information on making a HEAR application. Read over the Handbook on the website before you begin your application. You will need a parent/ guardian present when completing the application to help answer some of the questions.  

There is also an online HEAR Application Information Session taking place from 1.00pm-3.30pm on Saturday 8th January. This session includes a general presentation on HEAR and how to apply to it, as well as a Questions and Answers session on how to make a successful application.

My advice is to start your application early as supporting documents take time to gather so don’t leave it too close to the deadline.

Best of luck with your application!