What is the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) and how do I apply?

The purpose of the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is to provide once-off (i.e. not continuous) monetary support to disadvantaged students with ongoing needs for financial support and to provide emergency financial assistance for other students who are experiencing financial hardship. Students may apply once per semester of their studies for help with eligible expenses.

Receiving an award in previous years does not guarantee that you receive funding in the current academic year. Students' financial status at the time of their application is also taken into account, so being funded in Semester 1 does not guarantee that you will be successful in subsequent semesters.

Who can apply to the SAF?

As this is an EU-funded initiative, only EU citizens or those who have been deemed eligible for the Free Fees Initiative may apply: international students are not eligible for this fund.

You must also be studying on a course with a duration of at least one academic year.

Additionally, part-time students must be receiving a form of means-tested social welfare in order to be eligible.

What can the SAF be used for?

The Student Assistance Fund helps with costs such as:

Rent 
Books, materials for your course
Living expenses: food, heating, lighting 
Essential transport to/from university
Medical expenses: doctor, dentist, other 
Emergency: this includes bereavement, accidents, family breakdown, or other unforeseen circumstances
Childcare

Funding cannot be awarded to cover any of the following:

Tuition fees 
Registration fees 
Repeat examination fees
Student loan repayments

How do I apply?

The SAF is closed to new applications. It will reopen for the 2026/27 academic year in mid-October.

When the SAF is open, eligible students can apply by completing the relevant online form (full-time or part-time as applicable) on the SAF page of our website. Students may only apply once per semester of their studies for help with eligible expenses.

Supporting documentation is required for all applications: your case will not be assessed without it.

What supporting documentation do I need?

Supporting documentation is required for all cases to show that you are in genuine financial need: your case will not be assessed without it.

Full-time students must provide:

- Proof of European citizenship (copy of your passport or birth certificate) or Stamp 4 visa
- Proof of the financial emergency
- Full statements for the last three months from all bank, Revolut, Credit Union, and An Post accounts in your name: these must be sent in PDF format, and must show all transactions during the period
- Recent payslips if you are working, proof of seasonal work, or proof that you are not currently working
- SUSI grant letter or back to Education allowance (if applicable)
- Recent social welfare latter or receipt (if applicable)
- Recent rent or mortgage receipt
- Recent bills: electricity, heating bills or any other you think are relevant
- Statements of any loans held

Part-time students must provide:

- Proof of being on means-tested social welfare

- Proof of European citizenship (copy of your passport or birth certificate) or Stamp 4 visa
- Proof of the financial emergency
- Full statements for the last three months from all bank, Revolut, Credit Union, and An Post accounts in your name: these must be sent in PDF format, not screenshots, and must show all transactions during the period
- Recent payslips if you are working, proof of seasonal work, or proof that you are not currently working
- Recent rent or mortgage receipt
- Recent bills: electricity, heating bills or any other you think are relevant
- Statements of any loans held

Can I appeal the SAF committee's decision?

All SAF applications are assessed by a committee. If your application was unsuccessful and you have additional supporting documentation which was not included at the time, you can reply to the SAF team's outcome email and request one appeal. Your case will be reassessed in another committee meeting.

Please note that reassessment does not guarantee funding. The committee's reassessment decision is final.

What is the special SAF payment for HEAR students?

Students who are on the HEAR scheme are eligible for a special payment from the SAF. After the start of the academic year (usually in October), HEAR students will receive an email asking them to fill out a form with their bank details so that they can be sent this payment.

If HEAR students have not received this email by the end of October, they should contact studentassistancefund@ncirl.ie with a copy of their HEAR letter/email as proof.

This payment is determined by the amount of HEAR students and the total funding NCI receives from the HEA and therefore it is subject to change.

Please note: HEAR students cannot apply to the main SAF bursary until after they have received the special HEAR payment. This also applies in Semester 2 should a top-up payment be made (top-up payments may not be made every year as this is dependent on the allocation of funds by the HEA).

Still have a question?

You can find more information here on the SAF page of our website.

If you have other queries related to SAF you can contact the team by emailing studentassistancefund@ncirl.ie.