I have a question - FAQs
MEND is the Midlands, East and North Dublin region, made up of four Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Technological University of the Shannon: Athlone campus (TUS Athlone); Dublin City University (DCU); Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT); and Maynooth University (MU).
The All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) undertakes academic and applied mapping research and produces spatial datasets and specialist tools to aid in their analysis. To find out more about AIRO click here: http://airo.maynoothuniversity.ie/
Detailed criteria are provided above. In summary, students applying to year 1 of an (undergraduate) programme in the academic year (2022/23), full or part-time, with a household reckonable income less than €24,500 in 2021, who are in the identified target groups, who are experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and experiencing significant financial hardship, can apply.
This term usually means that you live in an area of urban or rural disadvantage where not many people from that area go on to third level education by tradition or for financial reasons. You may have attended a DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) school. Your family income may mean that you may not be able to go to college without financial help. You may be from a socio-economic group that is under-represented in higher education. All of these factors, either individually or often combined, mean that you have additional social and financial barriers to accessing higher education.
- Students in 2nd, 3rd or 4th year cannot apply. This bursary is for 'entering' first year students only.
- Postgraduate students.
- 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.
- Students whose income is assessed as over the maximum reckonable income limit, currently €24,500 gross for the family in 2021.
Reckonable income is any income excluding any income disregard i.e. the gross amount of your household income on which your application will be assessed.
Apply online using the link provided on your institutional 1916 web page.
The 1916 Bursary Fund will open the week of the 12th September 2022.
Personal data that you submit using this application form will be used only to process your application for the 1916 Bursary. Your data will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Policies of each Organisation. The website links and contact emails for each are listed at the end of this statement.
All of the higher education institutions are administering the 1916 Bursary Scheme on a regional basis, known as clusters. One of the clusters is the Midlands, East and North Dublin (MEND). This is made up of four higher education institutions: Dublin City University (DCU), Technological University of the Shannon: Athlone campus (TUS Athlone), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Maynooth University (MU).
By completing this application form, you will be submitting your personal data to this group of higher education institutions that work together to process the 1916 Bursary Fund. These are Dublin City University (DCU), Technological University of the Shannon: Athlone campus (TUS Athlone), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and Maynooth University (MU). As such, these are the Data Controllers in relation to your personal data (see ‘Data Protection Rules’ below). Certain elements of your personal data will also be shared with the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) and with the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
We need your data to process your application, provide services to you and comply with the funding legislation.
By applying for the 1916 Bursary, you will be required to provide us with the following personal data:
- name, address, eircode, date of birth, CAO number, mobile phone number, email address, country of birth, gender and nationality;
- SUSI W Reference Number (if relevant to you);
- your college entry route, HEI and programme of study;
- the target group(s) you belong to and additional personal circumstances;
- name of your secondary school, if relevant;
- if you are eligible for the HEAR scheme; and
- f you are eligible for the DARE scheme.
In relation to the Bursary, this personal data is necessary for:
- verification of your identity
- the assessment of your application
- eligibility for the Bursary fund
- the selection of successful applicants
- the provision of additional supports
Separately, the following information is provided to the AIRO and the HEA:
- AIRO: Your address and Eircode will be provided to AIRO to enable an understanding of what areas are represented by applicants for the 1916 Bursary. No other information will be shared with AIRO.
- HEA: An anonymised version of your information will be shared with the HEA to comply with the 1916 Bursary Scheme’s reporting requirements.
If you do not provide the requested data, your application for the Bursary cannot be processed.
Data protection rules
Data protection concerns the safeguarding of privacy rights in relation to the processing of your personal data. This includes any information that can identify you. This may, for example, include a name, email address, date of birth or telephone number.
We must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Acts 1988-2018 when we collect and use your personal data. We act as ‘Data Controllers’ in respect of your personal data and comply with our responsibilities under these laws.
How your personal information will be used
We will only process such data for the purpose for which you provide it and to the extent necessary to process your application in line with the regulations attached to this Bursary.
You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing, and you also have the right to access any personal data relating to you on request (see ‘Your Rights’ section below).
The personal data you submit will be held for a period of 10 years. The personal data may be disclosed by each Organisation to relevant internal staff and agents to assess this application and to deliver support services to you.
We may also share personal data with government departments, statutory bodies and funding agencies where this is required under legislation or to provide services to you.
Security
The online application form is hosted on the DCU website and based on Drupal software. A record of responses is generated as applicants submit their forms online. Application details will be stored on a secure network and password protected. Access to the Drupal form and responses is strictly limited to two authorised individuals within DCU, who require secure log-in to access the information.
Your rights
Under data protection rules, you have rights as a ‘data subject’. These rights include:
- The right to be informed about what happens to information relating to you (personal data) (Articles 12-14 of GDPR);
- The right to access information relating to you which is held by DCU (Article 15, GDPR);
- The right to rectification, to correct any errors in your personal data (Articles 16 & 19, GDPR);
- The right to erasure, to delete/destroy information relating to you which is held by DCU (Articles 17 & 19, GDPR);
- The right to data portability (Article 20, GDPR);
- The right to object to the processing of information relating to you (Article 21, GDPR);
- The right of restriction to limit the way DCU uses information relating to you (Article 18, GDPR); and,
- Rights about automated decision making, including profiling (Article 22, GDPR).
Who to contact
Depending on which higher education institution you are applying to, you may wish to contact them for further information. If you have any questions about how your personal data is used by that higher education institution, you may contact that institution’s Data Protection Officer. If you have any questions about access, support or the 1916 Bursary Scheme, you may contact that college’s Student Support Team.
Below are links for each of these units within the different higher education institutions:
In addition, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) is the official authority overseeing data protection in Ireland. You have the right to complain with the DPC if you believe your personal data is being processed by us unlawfully. To find out more information about how to make a complaint to the DPC, please visit dataprotection.ie
Consent declaration
By proceeding to complete the following 1916 Bursary Application Form, you confirm:
- that you have read and fully understand the above statement and its contents
- that you consent to the obtaining, processing and retaining of your personal data for the purposes described in the above statement
Important: If you proceed to complete the 1916 Bursary application form, your personal data will be processed as described in the above statement. If you do not wish to have your personal data collected and further processed, please do not proceed.
Yes. If you are eligible and awarded SUSI and the 1916 Bursary Fund, you can keep both. The 1916 Bursary Fund is not counted as income when assessing SUSI.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 students are not permitted to hold a 1916 Bursary in conjunction with any other bursary, scholarship, or award, irrespective of value. However, Tier 3 bursary holders may hold another bursary, scholarship, or award of not more than €1,500 in the same academic year.
The payment from the 1916 Bursary is not counted as income by SUSI.
The 1916 Bursary does not affect your means-tested or other payments from Social Welfare.
Yes, you can keep both. Your rent allowance and medical card are not considered reckonable income.
Yes, you can apply. Each institution will assess applications for the Student Assistance Fund using its own processes, so it is up to them if you are granted any funding.
Yes, you can apply. If you have a disability and are receiving the 1916 Bursary, you can also apply for the Fund for Students with Disabilities.
The MEND region HEIs, as outlined above, have 48 Tier 1 bursaries and 21 Tier 2 bursaries. The number of Tier 3 bursaries varies from year to year. There are strict criteria that must be applied.
- You would be expected to keep within the rules and regulations of your institution.
- You would be expected to agree to any assessment set out by your institution for your course.
- You would be expected to confirm with the department managing the 1916 Bursary that you have passed each year of your course.
- You would be expected to meet with a Student Advisor in your institution at least twice per year.
- You may be asked to attend or be part of events organised by the institution to increase awareness of the 1916 Bursary. This is not compulsory.
- You will be required to sign a Student Contract if you are successful in your application.
No. The 1916 Bursary is only open to students entering first year undergraduate programmes. A Tier 1 and Tier 2 bursary may be continued where the awardee is progressing for the normal duration of a full-time or part-time postgraduate course.
No. The 1916 Bursary is only open to entering first year, undergraduate students.
Applications from those due to repeat Year 1 of their undergraduate programme will only be considered in cases where evidence is supplied that a significant life event was the reason for poor performance in the last academic year. Examples of such life events include major ill health, which was certified at the time, pregnancy, or bereavement in the immediate family.
There are two grounds for appeal:
- That you believe there was an “administrative error in assessment”, i.e. that you think a mistake was made when your application was being reviewed that led to you not being awarded the Bursary.
- That you believe “insufficient weight was given to an aspect of your application”, i.e. that all your circumstances were not taken into account when your application was being reviewed, and something important was not considered about your personal situation.
No new information will be considered in your appeal.
The Appeals Form can be found HERE
There will be a Review and Appeals Panel to ensure your application was assessed fairly and in line with the criteria.
The 1916 Bursary cannot be paid for a repeat year unless the institution agrees that there were “exceptional circumstances”, i.e. medical or personal reasons why you could not complete the year. You would be expected to provide written evidence of your illness or personal situation from a professional outside your family group. You would also be expected to work with the student supports within your institution during your difficulty and, at a minimum, have advised someone in your college that you have an ongoing issue.
Yes. Each institution has funds to support students experiencing financial hardship. The biggest fund available is the Student Assistance Fund. Further information on these supports are available here:
AIT: www.ait.ie/life-at-ait/your-finances
DCU: www.dcu.ie/students/finance/assistance_fund.shtml
DkIT: Application forms for the Student Assistant Fund (SAF) are available from Student Services reception.
MU: Email: student.budget@mu.ie
All students awarded the bursary will have to verify all claims made at the application stage.