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You are here Students > Undergraduate Students > Financial Assistance > Student Assistance Fund

Student Assistance Fund

The Undergraduate Student Assistance Fund (SAF) is operated by the Undergraduate Student Support Officer on behalf of the Financial Assistance Committee and provides financial support to students who are experiencing short or long-term financial difficulties while attending higher education. The SAF is co-funded by the Irish Government and European Social Fund Program for Employability, Inclusion and Learning (ESF+) 2021 - 2027.

PLEASE FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS - OUTLINED BELOW

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION WHEN YOU HAVE THE FULL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AS WE CAN ONLY RECEIVE ONE APPLICATION FORM PER STUDENT

WITHOUT FULL DOCUMENTS YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

PLEASE SUBMIT ONE APPLICATION FORM PER ACADEMIC YEAR

DO NOT SEND DOCUMENTS BY EMAIL

 



The Student Assistance fund 2023/24 online application WILL REOPEN ON TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER AT 09:00 am AND WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER AT 12:00 noon, NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED OR CONSIDERED. Please read guidelines carefully, prepare your documents and submit your application via the link below:

SAF Application Link

Guidelines for applying for Financial Assistance/Student Assistance Fund

Step 1: Discuss your financial situation with your College Tutor or make an appointment to discuss with the Undergraduate Student Support Officer (email: undergrad.support@tcd.ie) if you are unsure if you will qualify

Step 2: Complete the online application form (This goes live in October)

Step 3: Gather your supporting documentation before submitting your application: detailed list of what is required is below and also outlined in online application). Documentation supplied must be in English or accompanied by a certified translation. All supporting documentations must be included with the online form

Step 4: Using your backup documents as evidence, write a short personal statement (1 page A4 typed) outlining your current financial situation and indicating what you would allocate funding to if successful (e.g. one month’s rent, or three months’ transport costs)

Step 5: Attach your backup documentation and personal statement to your online application in 1 file (scanned, not photographed)- only 1 file per student will be accepted, so please ensure you have included all relevant documentation. Please make sure your file has the following name format: surname_firstname_student number_docs_SAF

No application will be assessed until this has been received (in full)

Step 6: Ensure you have entered your bank details accurately on your student portal (my.tcd.ie) as all payments are made directly to such account

List of Supporting Documents for Financial Assistance/Student Assistance Fund

Dependent Students (students who were under 23 years of age when commencing college)

All dependent students must provide financial backup documentation for their parents/guardian/partner/spouse

Below is a list of the documentation which is required for both the student AND their parents/guardian/partner/spouse

  • P21 or if the household is reliant on social welfare, evidence of this must be provided This is a core document, applications cannot be considered without this
  • 3 months most recent bank statements for student AND parents/guardian/partner/spouse This is a core document, applications cannot be considered without this
  • 3 most recent payslips for all that are working or evidence of social welfare payments This is a core document, applications cannot be considered without this
  • Proof of rent (if applicable)
  • Proof of SUSI if qualified includuing the Reckonable Income assessment page
  • If the student has siblings in education, proof of this is required - letter from school will suffice
  • If the student has dependents in childcare or education, evidence of this must be provided

Mature Students (Students who are over 23 years of age when commencing college)

Below is a list of the documentation which is required for both the student AND partner/spouse

  • P21 or if the household is reliant on social welfare, evidence of this must be provided This is a core document, applications cannot be considered without this
  • 3 most recent payslips for all that are working or evidence of social welfare payments This is a core document, applications cannot be considered without this
  • 3 months most recent bank statements for student AND partner/spouse This is a core document, applications cannot be considered without this
  • Proof of SUSI if qualified including the Reckonable Income assessment page
  • Proof of rent/mortgage if applicable
  • If the student has dependents in education, proof of this is required - letter from school will suffice
  • If the student has dependents in childcare (registered only), evidence of this must be provided

Qualifying criteria for financial assistance are approved annually by the Board of the College. The Financial Assistance Committee reserves the right to reduce the approved awards, should pressure on the funds require this course of action

All applications are treated in confidence, and are considered anonymously by the Financial Assistance Committee