By Leesa Flanagan
Access Project Officer for the HEAR and DARE Schemes, Irish Universities Association
As the Access Project Officer for the HEAR and DARE schemes at the Irish Universities Association, I am delighted to share key updates to the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) for students applying to the CAO in 2026.
These changes mark an important step in widening participation and ensuring fairer access to higher education across Ireland.
Strengthening Access Through a Clearer Model
The HEAR scheme has long supported students who face socioeconomic disadvantage. Students who receive a HEAR offer may qualify for reduced points via the CAO offers process, along with a range of extra supports in college such as orientation programmes, academic support, and financial assistance. The 2026 updates make the process a more equitable way of identifying HEAR-eligible applicants via the CAO points process, enabling colleges to better identify applicants who may require additional support.
To be considered for HEAR, applicants must meet the income limit as outlined in the table below and then accumulate points across several criteria of disadvantage.
More Consistent Access to College Courses
The updated scoring system allows colleges prioritise HEAR applicants based on their need. This brings greater fairness and recognises the real impact of socioeconomic barriers on educational outcomes.
HEAR Priority Groups
The HEAR scheme recognises specific groups are particularly disadvantaged. Research has identified that students from the following groups are particularly under-represented in higher education in Ireland. To increase the number of HEAR students from these groups progressing to higher education, HEAR has agreed to prioritise the following groups:
1. Care experienced applicants.
2. Applicants who wish to be identified as a member of the Traveller Community in their HEAR application.
3. Applicants who wish to be identified as a member of the ROMA Community in their HEAR application.
4. Young Parents.
5. Applicants who are both HEAR and DARE eligible.
By strengthening HEAR’s ability to identify and prioritise students facing the greatest disadvantage, the updated framework directly contributes to national efforts to create a more equitable higher education system.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 reforms represent a longstanding commitment to widening participation and ensuring that a student’s background does not determine their future. By introducing a clearer points system, identifying priority groups, HEAR is better equipped than ever to support students in accessing and thriving in higher education. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these changes will have for students across Ireland.
More Information
For more information about the HEAR scheme, you can get in touch with the access offices of any participating college. Each college has its own dedicated access officer who is available to guide and support you with your HEAR application.
For more information visit http://www.accesscollege.ie/hear/
To access the HEAR booklet visit: https://accesscollege.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HEAR-2026-digital-1.pdf
