Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their HEAR and/or DARE application on Tuesday 25th June 2024. You can log into your CAO application to view the outcome of your HEAR application from 2pm on Tuesday 25th June 2024.
HEAR and DARE Schemes at UCD
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HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) and DARE (Disability Access Route) are third level admissions schemes which promote equity of access to higher education for school leavers either from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds or school leavers with a disability or significant ongoing illness.
UCD has a number of reserved places to offer eligible HEAR and DARE students. For details of application procedures please see (opens in a new window)www.accesscollege.ie
You will be considered if:
- You have a minimum of 300 points
- You have met all of the entry requirements for the course
- You are within 20% of the points required (e.g. if the cut-off is 500 you must have at least 400 points)
There are approximately 5% of UCD places reserved for HEAR eligible applicants and 5% for DARE eligible applicants.
For 2024 entry, students will be prioritised when allocating reduced points places if they:
- are both HEAR and DARE eligible
- OR have a physical disability
- OR have a sensory disability
Have a read through our Frequently Asked Questions section below for further information.
Check out our talk on HEAR / DARE and the supports available in UCD below:
Check out our Zoom recording of our recent HEAR/DARE Information evening (opens in a new window)here. Password: Qt.*nqK6
Unfortunately not. Applicants must have applied online by 1 March 2024 to be considered for HEAR and/or DARE.
Applications to HEAR and DARE for September 2025 will open in November 2024.
Not necessarily. We have a target number of places to offer to eligible HEAR/DARE applicants in most courses. This means that admission is competitive if there are more eligible HEAR/DARE applicants than places available. For some course, the lowest HEAR/DARE offer has been close to the standard cut-off.
To receive an offer from UCD, you must:
- Have a minimum of 300 points (for DN400 Medicine minimum is 480 points and minimum HPAT is 150)
- Have met all the entry requirements for the course
- Be within 20% of the points required (e.g. if the cut-off is 500 you must have at least 400 points)
As an indication, the minimum score at which offers were made previously are shown on the UCD Admissions website.
Note: as with all cut-off points the minimum can vary significantly from year-to-year
HEAR/DARE eligible applicants must be within 20% of the points required for their course, e.g. if the CAO cut-off is 500 points you must have at least 400 points.
Admission is competitive if there are more HEAR/DARE eligible applicants than available places. In this case, places will be offered to applicants who are closer to the CAO cut-off points.
The average lowest offers made for each course from 2021 - 2023 are listed on the UCD Registry website.
Priority is given to applicants who are both DARE and HEAR eligible and for applicants with physical and sensory disabilities. Any remaining places are assigned on points ranking.
The number of places reserved for HEAR and DARE eligible applicants are listed on the UCD Registry website.
Applicants who are eligible for HEAR and/or DARE will receive a course offer like any other CAO applicant. Details on the CAO offers and acceptance process can be found on the (opens in a new window)CAO website.
UCD Access and Lifelong Learning will contact you soon after you receive your CAO offer with information on the (opens in a new window)ALL Welcome Programme.
As well as being allocated a place on a reduced points basis, students who secure a place through HEAR are offered a variety of academic, personal and social supports while studying at third-level such as:
- A dedicated (opens in a new window)Welcome Programme to introduce students to university
- Budgeting and goal setting meetings
- Advice regarding grants and scholarships
- Academic Skills workshops
- Social gatherings
As well as being allocated a place on a reduced points basis, students who secure a place through DARE are offered a variety of academic, personal and social supports while studying at third-level such as:
- A dedicated (opens in a new window)Welcome Programme to introduce students to university
- Academic and exam accommodations
- Assistive technology
- Academic Skills workshops
- Social gatherings
- Scholarship opportunities
If you have the points for your course without a reduction you can still avail of the HEAR and/or DARE supports.
For DN400 Medicine, the minimum points requirements is 480 points and the minimum HPAT score is 150.
From 2021 - 2023, the average lowest offer made for Medicine was 707 points.
UCD ALL Welcome Programme will take place on the week of September 2nd 2024 (exact date TBC)
Formal UCD Orientation activities will take place from 4th-6th September 2024.
The UCD Teaching term begins on the 9th September 2024.
Further information on UCD Key Dates.
Yes, HEAR is not your maintenance grant ((opens in a new window)SUSI grant). The maintenance grant is the main source of financial assistance available from the Irish State for students in full-time Post Leaving Certificate Courses (PLCs) and full-time higher education undergraduate courses.
If you are eligible for HEAR and/or DARE in 2024 but have decided that you will not study until September 2025 you should apply to the HEAR/DARE scheme in 2024/25 to carry your eligibility forward. Applications will open in early November 2024.
You will find relevant information on carrying forward your eligibility on (opens in a new window)accesscollege.ie.
HEAR and DARE applicants who have received merit offers (above the points) can apply to defer their places by following the procedure noted on the UCD Admissions Website.
HEAR and DARE applicants who have a below the points offer are looked at on a case by case basis – applicants must apply to defer their place following the procedure noted on the UCD Admissions Website. You are advised to do this immediately using the deferral form
Information on carrying your HEAR/DARE eligibility forward for 2024 can be found on (opens in a new window)accesscollege.ie
If you did not receive your first (or a higher preference) choice in the first round of CAO offers, there is a small chance you will receive the offer in the second round of offers. Round two offers are made through the CAO
Round 1 CAO Offer Date: 28th August 2024 from 14:00
Round 1 CAO Offer Reply Date: 3rd September 2024 from 15:00
Round 2 CAO Offer Date: 9th September 2024 from 14:00
Round 1 CAO Offer Reply Date: 11th September 2024 at 15:00
Note: CAO Applicants will never be offered a course which appears lower on their CAO form in round 2 than the CAO round 1 offer they received.
Further information can be found on the (opens in a new window)CAO website.