The Fund for Students with Disabilities

The Fund for Students with Disabilities:

The purpose of the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD) is to assist further and higher education institutions in ensuring students with disabilities have the necessary assistance and equipment to enable them access, fully participate in and successfully complete their chosen course of study.

The FSD is one of the main funding sources supporting participation by students with disabilities in approved further and higher education courses in Ireland. It also supports students from Ireland to study on approved courses in Northern Ireland, the UK and other EU countries.

Eligible students on an approved course can receive assistance from post-leaving certificate to doctoral level during any year of study. Full-time undergraduate courses must be not less than two years in duration. Part-time undergraduate courses must be not less than one year in duration. Postgraduate courses must be not less than one year in duration.

Eligible courses

In the case of higher education institutions in Republic of Ireland

• Full-time undergraduate courses of not less than two years in duration; or
• Part-time undergraduate courses of not less than one year in duration; or
• Postgraduate courses (full- or part-time) of not less than one-year in duration.

In the case of further education institutions in Republic of Ireland

The eligible courses under the FSD are full-time approved post-leaving certificate (PLC) courses of at least one year in duration in Ireland. The list of approved PLC courses is available from the ETBs or SOLAS.

For UK (including Northern Ireland) and EU higher education institutions, please see above.

Who is eligible for support under the FSD?

To be eligible for support under the FSD, a student on an approved course must:

• have a verifiable disability in one or more of the categories outlined below;
• meet the nationality and residency criteria outlined below;
• be a participant on a full-time, or part-time (Republic of Ireland only), course; AND
• have a verified need for specific supports to enable attendance on their chosen course.

Residency

In order to be eligible for support under the FSD, a student must be legally resident in Ireland for at least three of the five years up to the day before her/his approved course commences in an approved institution. If the student does not qualify at the beginning of their course, it is possible for her/him to meet this requirement during the course of her/his studies. This should be reviewed at the beginning of an academic year.

Nationality

In order to be eligible for support under the FSD, the student must be either:

• an Irish national OR
• a national of another European Union member state, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.

In relation to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, for the 2019/20 academic year United Kingdom nationals studying in Ireland may continue to be supported under the FSD provided they meet the other criteria of the FSD e.g. eligibility criteria for support, approved course and HEI.

Immigration status

If one of the nationality categories above does not apply, then the student will need to have:

• been declared a refugee under the Refugee Act 1996 OR
• been admitted to Ireland as a Programme Refugee OR
• permission to remain in Ireland as a family member of a refugee under section 18 of the Refugee Act 1996 OR
• been granted subsidiary protection under the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 OR
• permission in writing to enter and reside in Ireland under Regulation 16 of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 OR
• permission to remain in the State as a family member of a European Union, EEA or Swiss citizen under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2006 and 2008 and EU Directive (EU Treaty Rights provisions) OR
• permission to remain because of marriage or civil partnership with an Irish national or because you are the dependent child of such person OR
• humanitarian leave to remain granted before the Immigration Act 1999 came into effect OR
• permission to remain in Ireland following a decision not to deport you under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999.

What supports are covered under the FSD?

• assistive technology equipment and software (including student training)
• non-medical helpers (e.g. personal assistants, notetakers)
• academic/learning support
• deaf supports (sign language interpreters, speedtext)
• transport support

What supports are not covered under the FSD?

• assessment or diagnosis of a disability
• any medical equipment, assistance or support
• services that can reasonably be expected to be provided by the institution (e.g. counselling service) or by another agency (e.g. local health service)
• course-related equipment, materials or software (i.e. applicable to all students on the course)
• support or assistance provided outside the academic year, or periods during the academic year when the college is closed (save for exceptional circumstances where HEI’s have discretion to consider cases)
• subsistence, mileage and accommodation costs for personal assistants, note-takers, speed-text operators or ISL interpreters
• staff training and development
• policy work or research
• student accommodation (i.e. on-campus or off-campus)
• salaries of staff in disability or access services involved in administrative work

What do I need to do access support?

Students do not need to apply to the FSD in order to access supports. The FSD is a funding programme to assist higher and further education institutions in ensuring students with disabilities have the necessary assistance and equipment to enable them access, fully participate in and successfully complete their chosen course of study.

Students are advised to register with the disability or access office in their college as soon as possible so that supports available through the FSD can be accessed.

Students must meet particular criteria in order to qualify for support and they will be informed of these when they register with the disability or access office.

Funding is allocated to the college, not the student. The college has full discretion on how the FSD is allocated at local level and remains responsible for the management of funding throughout each academic year.

Students are not generally required to organise services, supports or source equipment themselves – this is done by their college in consultation with the student.

What other supports and services are available?

Depending on the college and the resources available, a range of additional services and supports may be on offer. These include:

• a disability service with dedicated support staff
• measures to enhance the accessibility of buildings, such as wheelchair lifts
• non-standard admissions procedures, whereby students with disabilities may be admitted to a course without necessarily having achieved the full CAO point level for that course
• tailored induction programmes for students with disabilities
• access to student accommodation units (on campus or otherwise) reserved specifically for students with disabilities
• psycho-educational assessment for students experiencing problems associated with specific learning difficulties or dyslexia

The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third-level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers whose disabilities have had a negative impact on their second level education. DARE offers reduced points places to school leavers who, as a result of having a disability, have experienced additional educational challenges in second level education.

Where can I find further information?

• a college’s website and prospectus
• disability and access offices in colleges
• a college’s disability policy
• local education and training boards
• AHEAD (Association of Higher Education Access and Disability