Minister Lawless announces that the 1916 Bursary will be paid to all eligible applicants by the 23rd of December
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From: Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
- Published on: 22 December 2025
- Last updated on: 22 December 2025
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, is pleased to announce that payments for the 1916 Bursary, which is co funded by the Government and the European Union, will be made to all eligible students, over the course of the next week.
Minister Lawless said:
“The 1916 Bursary is about breaking down barriers and opening doors for students who might otherwise be held back by financial challenges. For many, this support is the difference between accessing higher education and achieving their ambitions. I want to thank the Higher Education Institutions and SUSI for working hard to make sure payments reach students before Christmas. Cost should never stand in the way of education, and the 1916 Bursary is helping to make that a reality for those who need it most.”
The 1916 Bursary is a financial award to encourage the participation and success of students from National Access Plan priority groups that are significantly underrepresented in higher education. There are 3 levels of bursary available to students, Tier 1 bursaries of €5,000 per year, Tier 2 bursaries of €2,000 and Tier 3 bursaries which are once off payments of €1,500. With the exception of Tier 3 bursaries which are a once off payments, students can retain the bursary for each year of their undergraduate and postgraduate study while undertaking eligible programmes on a full- or part-time basis.
Over 1,500 bursaries to the value of €2.75m will be awarded this year and all eligible applicants will receive a bursary of some form.
Philip Connolly, Director of Services with SUSI said:
“SUSI is proud to support more students than ever through our work on the 1916 Bursary. We are committed to placing the student at the heart of our service and by using our experience in the administration of student grants, we’ve helped ensure that students receive their 1916 Bursary support as early as possible.”
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. The aim of the Bursary is to encourage participation and success by students who are most socio-economically disadvantaged and from groups who are underrepresented in higher education. The availability of European Social Fund (ESF) funding for the last number of years has allowed for a significant increase in the potential bursaries that can be awarded.
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Notes to the Editor
- The National Access Plan 2022-2028 is the strategic plan for the equity of access, participation and success in Higher Education.
- Since its inception in 2017, the 1916 Bursary has expanded into a valuable support for Students from the target groups of the National Access Plans.
- In 2025/26: 400 Tier 1, 200 Tier 2 and over 900 Tier 3 new entrant bursaries will be allocated.
- Bursary Value: Tier 1 – Bursaries worth €5,000 annually; Tier 2 – Bursaries worth €2,000 annually; and Tier 3 – Once-off bursaries payable for that academic year, worth €1,500.
- From 2023/24 the bursaries have been ESF Co-funded.
- Since 2024/25 SUSI are providing the online application portal, conducting assessments and processing payments for the 1916 Bursary.