1. School Presentation

2. What is HEAR?
Higher Education Access Route is an admissions route for school leavers who for social, financial or cultural reasons are under-represented at third level education.
It was established by 16 colleges and universities to ensure that all Leaving Certificate students have a fair and equal opportunity to progress to third level education.

3. Participating Institutions
Dublin City University
Dublin Institute of Technology
University College, Cork
University College, Dublin
University of Limerick
NUI Galway
NUI Maynooth
Trinity College, Dublin
Coláiste Mhuire, Marino Institute of Education
Church of Ireland, College of Education
Mary Immaculate, College of Education
Mater Dei Institute of Education
National College of Ireland
St. Angela’s College, Sligo
St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra
Pontifical University, Maynooth
Froebel College of Education 3

4. What HEAR is not
HEAR is NOT your local authority maintenance grant. 4

5. Why Apply to HEAR?
• Reduced points CAO offers in the participating colleges provided you meet the minimum entry requirements.
• Post-entry supports such as financial, academic, social and personal. 5

6. Should I Apply? The 6 indicators
1. Was your household income of on or below €48, in 2010?
4. Is your parent or guardian’s employment status under-represented in Higher Education?
2. Does your family have a medical card?
5. Have you attended a DEIS school for all of second level?
3. Did your parents/guardian receive a means-tested social welfare payment in 2010?
6. Do you live in an area with high unemployment, poverty and few community facilities?
Direct students to page 5 of the workbook for further information on the HEAR income limit.
Explain to students that there are 1000s of occupations in Ireland and we code occupations to determine if you meet this indicator. Applicants will not be able to know before coding if their parents occupation will meet this indicator. 6

7. You must meet the HEAR income limit & the right combination of 2 other indicators
to be eligible 7

8. 8

9. I want to apply to HEAR, what’s next?
Apply to CAO at by February 2012
Fill in your HEAR Application Guide & Workbook with your parents or guardians
Complete all elements of HEAR on line application by 1 March 2012
Submit copies of supporting documents requested on your checklist to CAO by 1 April 2012 9

10. Your HEAR Checklist
When you fill in your online HEAR application you will receive a checklist at the end of the application. Your checklist is based on the information you provide in your application.
Your checklist tells you the supporting documents you need to fully complete your HEAR application.
Your HEAR application will not be complete unless you send in all the requested documents. 10

11. Sample Checklist P21 or Notice of Assessment for 2010
Medical Card Form Signed and Stamped by Local Health Office
Social Welfare Form for 2010 Signed and Stamped by Local Social Welfare Office
RP50 Notification of Redundancy or Retirement Lump Sum Payments for 2010
Letter from Health Service Executive for Children in Care of HSE 11

12. 8,322 people applied to the HEAR Scheme for entry to college in 201112

13. 3,164 were not considered for HEAR because they didn’t send in supporting documents!13

14. Top 10 Mistakes from 2011
Not filling in your HEAR application with your parents or guardians.
Giving incorrect answers about your family financial circumstances and parent or guardian’s job.
Not printing off your checklist. No checklist means you don’t know what documents you need and you don’t have evidence you submitted an online HEAR application. 14

15. Top 10 Mistakes from 2011 4. Not submitting ANY supporting documents.
5. Submitting the wrong documents like a P60 instead of a P21.
6. Submitting the right type of document but for the wrong year. We want documents for 2010. 15

16. Top 10 Mistakes from 2011
Submitting the right documents but only submitting 1 page of a 3 page document.
Submitting all the correct documents but not checking to make sure the Local Health and/or Social Welfare Offices signs and stamps your forms correctly.
Submitting all the right documents but not keeping proof of postage or a photocopy of what you sent.
10. Supplying documentation to CAO after the deadline. 16

17. Submit it!
Check it!
Send it! 17

18. What is DARE?
The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a supplementary admissions scheme which offers college places on reduced points to school leavers with disabilities.
DARE has been established by a number of higher education institutions as clear evidence shows that disability can have a negative impact on educational attainment at school and progression to higher education. 18

19. What Colleges Participate?
Athlone Institute of Technology
Cork Institute of Technology
Dublin City University
Dublin Institute of Technology
Mater Dei, Institute of Education
National College of Ireland
NUI Galway
NUI Maynooth
Pontifical University, Maynooth
Trinity College, Dublin
University College, Cork
University College, Dublin
University of Limerick 19

20. Who Should Apply?
Applicants whose disability had a significant impact on educational performance in school.
Applicants who may not be able to meet the points for their preferred course due to the impact of disability.
Applicants under 23 years on 1st January 2012. 20

21. Disabilities eligible for consideration
Asperger’s Syndrome/Autism
ADD/ADHD
Blind/Vision Impaired
Deaf/Hearing Impaired
DCD –Dyspraxia/Dysgraphia
Mental Health Conditions
Neurological Conditions (Brain Injury, Speech & Language Disabilities)
Significant Ongoing Illness
Physical Disability
Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia & Dyscalculia)
Disabilities eligible for consideration 21

22. I want to apply to DARE what’s next?
Review DARE Application Guide with your parents or guardians.
Apply to CAO by 1 February
Complete Section A of the Supplementary Info Form and apply to DARE by 1 March 2012.
Submit academic reference and evidence of disability to CAO by April 2012. 22

23. Post-entry supports
If you have a disability you can register with the Disability Support Service whether you come through DARE or not.
A needs assessment is conducted to identify your specific support requirements.
Supports may include:
Orientation Programmes
Learning Support
Assistive Technology
Library Support
Exam Support
Note-taking/Support Worker
Academic Tuition 23

24. How To Apply
Step 1
You must apply to the CAO at by 1st February 2011 and indicate that you have a disability/specific learning difficulty on your CAO application form by 1st March You will then be directed to a separate online Supplementary Information Form which asks for additional information about your disability or specific learning difficulty.
Step 2
You must complete Section A (Questions 1-4) of the Supplementary Information Form by 1st March 2011
Step 3
You must indicate your wish to be considered for DARE by ticking ‘Yes’ to Question 5 by 1st March 2011.
Step 4
You must return the Second Level Academic Reference (Section B) and Evidence of Disability (Section C) to the CAO by 1st April 2011.

25. What is the Supplementary Information Form?
A separate form which gathers additional information on your disability.
The Supplementary Information Form has 4 separate sections:
Section A – completed by you by 1st March 2012
Supplementary Admissions Routes – you must ‘opt in’ for DARE by 1st March 2012
Section B – completed by the school and returned by 1st April 2012
Section C – completed by the accepted Medical Consultant / Specialist and returned by 1st April 2012 25

26. Section A – Applicant Information
Section A is completed by you and asks for specific information on your disability and the supports received in second level.
You must also complete a Personal Statement which outlines, from your perspective, the academic impact of your disability or specific learning difficulty.
Must be completed by 1st March 2012

27. Section B – Second Level Academic Reference
Provides background information on your educational experience and helps to determine appropriate supports in 3rd level
This form should be downloaded by you, completed by your school and returned to the CAO
School teacher/Guidance Counsellor/Visiting Teacher AND school principal must complete the form
The form MUST BE stamped
The Second Level Academic Reference must be returned to the CAO by 1st April 2012

28. Section C – Evidence of Disability
This form provides verification of your disability and helps to determine appropriate supports at 3rd level
This form should be downloaded by you, completed by the accepted Medical Consultant/ Specialist and returned to the CAO
All applicants must complete this form with the exception of the following:
Applicants with specific learning difficulties ( Dyslexia and Dyscalculia) and applicants with Dyspraxia
Applicants who have an existing report completed by the accepted Medical Consultant/Specialist.

29. Section C – Evidence of Disability
Students with specific learning difficulties (Dyslexia and Dyscalculia) and applicants with Dyspraxia must provide a full psycho-educational assessment completed by an appropriately qualified psychologist.
Applicants with Dyspraxia must also submit other evidence and have no age limit on assessment .
The psycho-educational assessment (Dyslexia and Dyscalculia) must be less than 3 years old i.e. dated after 1st February 2009.
For other disabilities, if submitting a report instead of the Evidence of Disability form:
Must have been completed by the accepted Medical Consultant / Specialist
Must have been completed within the appropriate timeframe
Must contain the same detail as the Evidence of Disability Form 29

30. Section C – Evidence of Disability
The form MUST BE STAMPED by the accepted Medical Consultant/ Specialist or accompanied by the Medical Consultant/ Specialist’s business card or headed paper
If the form is not verified as outlined above IT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED and you will be ineligible for DARE.
Evidence from a General Practitioner/ family doctor or support organisation will not be accepted as verification of a disability
It is your responsibility to ensure that all sections of the form are completed.
The Evidence of Disability must be returned to the CAO by 1st April 2012 30

31. Less than 3 years old (i.e. must be dated after 1st Feb ‘09)
Disability
Accepted Consultant or Specialist
Age of Report
Asperger’s Syndrome/ Autism
Appropriately qualified Psychiatrist OR Psychologist who is a member of his or her professional or regulatory body
No Age Limit
ADD/ ADHD
Appropriately qualified Psychiatrist OR Psychologist OR Neurologist OR Paediatrician who is a member of his or her professional or regulatory body
Blind/ Vision Impaired
Ophthalmologist OR Ophthalmic Surgeon
Deaf/ Hearing Impaired
Professionally qualified Audiologist
Dyspraxia
Appropriately qualified Psychologist AND Occupational Therapist OR Neurologist who is a member of their professional or regulatory body
Mental Health Condition
Psychiatrist
Less than 3 years old (i.e. must be dated after 1st Feb ‘09)
Neurological Conditions (incl. Brain Injury, Speech & Language Disabilities)
Neurological Conditions: Neurologist or other relevant Consultant.
Speech & Language Disabilities: Speech and Language Therapist

32. Accepted Consultant or Specialist Age of Report
Disability
Accepted Consultant or Specialist
Age of Report
Physical Disability
Orthopaedic Consultant or other relevant Consultant such a Rheumatologist or Paediatrician
No Age Limit
Significant Ongoing Illness
Epilepsy: Neurologist
Diabetes Type 1: Endocrinologist
Cystic Fibrosis (CF): Consultant Respiratory Physician or Paediatrician
Gastroenterology Conditions: Gastroenterologist
Others: Relevant consultant in area of condition or Consultant Registrar/Registrar
Less than 3 years old (i.e. must be dated after 1st Feb ‘09)
Specific Learning Difficulty
(Dyslexia & Dyscalculia)
Appropriately qualified Psychologist
Less than 3 years old (i.e. must be dated after 1st Feb ‘08)

33. Final Section - Supplementary Admissions Routes
You must ‘opt in’ (Question 5) to be eligible for consideration under DARE
You must do this by 1st March 2012
If you do not ‘opt in’ you will not be considered under DARE
If you do not ‘opt in’ you can still avail of supports in college

34. How are applications screened for eligibility?
Applications to DARE are assessed by professionals in participating HEIs who have expertise of the impact of disability on educational attainment.
To assess an applicant’s eligibility for DARE, specific criteria have been developed to determine the significance of each disability and the impact on educational attainment.
The criteria used for assessing the impact of disability were developed by Disability Advisory Boards, which included HEI professionals and representatives from expert external organisations.
Eligibility criteria are available on accesscollege.ie and the CAO website 34

35. Screening Criteria – Dyslexia
Accepted Medical Consultant/Specialist
Appropriately qualified Psychologist.
Evidence of Disability
1. A full psycho-educational assessment, as described here (link to ‘DARE acceptable report content for diagnosis of specific learning difficulty’).
2. If information / scores are missing, you can ask the Psychologist to also complete this Summary Form (link to Psycho-Educational Assessment – Summary Sheet).
Age of Report
The report must be less than 3 years old i.e. dated after 1st February 2008.
Acceptable tests
A minimum of two literacy areas from reading, reading comprehension, reading speed, spelling, written expression, writing speed, pseudoword decoding, which should be assessed from the following list (link to ‘Suitable Tests for the Assessment of Specific Learning Difficulties in Higher Education’).
Reading attainment should include reading accuracy, fluency, reading speed and ability to extract information from text.
Spelling attainments should be identified using a standardised and age appropriate spelling test with additional information from a piece of free writing, which will also yield information about written expression, writing speed and legibility of handwriting
Performance should be reported as standard scores and percentile points; age equivalent scores are not acceptable.
DARE Eligibility
We will consider your application for DARE where the report states that:
general ability falls at or above a standard score of 90
attainment in two literacy areas fall at or below the 10th percentile/SS 81
there is a significant discrepancy with general ability.
All tests used must be current, valid, reliable and age appropriate. Age equivalencies are not acceptable.
Other Disabilities/Medical Conditions
Submit an Evidence of Disability Form for each disability / medical condition to be considered (link to Evidence of Disability Form) 35

36. Screening Criteria – Deaf/Hearing Impaired
Accepted Medical Consultant/Specialist
Professionally qualified Audiologist.
Evidence of Disability
Complete the Evidence of Disability Form. OR
Submit an existing report completed by the appropriate professional which contains the same detail as the Evidence of Disability Form.
All applicants must also enclose a Bilateral Audiogram from a qualified Audiologist. It is recommended where possible that audiograms include details on air & bone conduction.
Failure to include the audiogram will result in you being made ineligible for DARE.
Age of Report
While there is no age limit on diagnostic evidence submitted it is advisable to submit a recent report.
DARE Eligibility
We will consider your application for DARE once the audiogram provided by the appropriate professional shows a bilateral moderate to profound hearing loss (i.e. anything above 40dB).
Other Disabilities/Medical Conditions
Submit an Evidence of Disability Form for each disability / medical condition to be considered (link to Evidence of Disability Form)
Personal Statement and Academic Reference
Your personal statement should outline the impact of disability on your academic and educational experience to date.
Your academic reference gives background information on your educational experience, including the impact your disability has had on your education. It also describes the supports and adaptations you will need in third level.
Your Academic Reference can be completed by your school OR by the Department of Education and Science Visiting Teacher service 36

37. Next steps in the application process
You will be informed of your DARE status in June 2012.
If you are not eligible for DARE you will be informed of the reasons for your ineligibility.
If you believe that your ineligibility was brought about by an administrative error you can request that your application is rechecked.
If you are not eligible for DARE you can still get into college through the CAO if you meet the entry requirements for your course of your choice. 37

38. What college places are available?
Each participating HEI has allocated a quota of places on a reduced points basis for students entering through DARE.
The quota of places available through DARE differs from one institution to another.
You must matriculate and meet specific course requirements.
Details of quotas and admissions policies can be found on individual HEI websites and accesscollege.ie 38

39. Common errors from 2011
Failing to disclose a disability on the CAO application form
You must apply to the CAO at by 1st February 2012 and indicate that you have a disability/specific learning difficulty on your CAO application form by 1st March 2012
Failure to apply to DARE
You must indicate your wish to be considered for DARE by ticking ‘Yes’ to Question 5 by 1st March 2012
Failure to submit documentation by specified date
You must return the Second Level Academic Reference (Section B) and Evidence of Disability (Section C) to the CAO by 1st April 2012
Documentation completed by inappropriate professionals
Your Evidence of Disability must be by the accepted medical Consultant/Specialist 39

40. DARE & HEAR application advice clinics 14th January 2012
HEAR closing date
DARE closing date
1 March 2012
Supporting documentation closing date
1 April 2012
Notification of eligibility
Late June 2012
Application recheck
July 2012
DARE/HEAR offers
August 2012
College Orientation
Late August/September 2012 40

41. Application Advice Clinics
HEAR & DARE
Application Advice Clinics
Saturday January 14th 2012
See accesscollege.ie for locations and times 41

42. www.accesscollege.ie www.facebook.com/accesscollege 42