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DARE

Disability Access Route to Education Scheme

CIT is part of the DARE (Disability Access Route to Education) national admissions scheme which can allocate reduced points places to eligible school leavers under 23 years old with  learning differences, health conditions and disabilities on first year undergraduate courses.

  • CAO - Please call the CAO helpdesk for information about your application on 091 509800  /  www.cao.ie
  • For specific CIT DARE/DSS queries, please read the information below on how the number of DARE places available and how DARE offers are made in CIT.
  • Email CIT DARE queries to dare@cit.ie  (please make sure to provide your name, date of birth and CAO number)
 

 

HOW DO I Apply for DARE?

For information about the process of applying to DARE and HEAR including the deadlines and criteria, please check the Access College website: www.accesscollege.ie

  • DARE 2019 Application Guide
  • Please make sure to check the deadlines for each stage of the DARE application process.
  • We would encourage all applicants with learning differences/health conditions/ disabilities who apply through the CAO to indicate details of your learning difference/health condition/ disability on your CAO online application. Giving this information is confidential and will not adversely affect your application in any way.
  • We would also advise students and parents to attend a DARE application information session which goes through the application process for that year (see below).

  • CIT is committed to helping students to avail of its courses. Before choosing a course, applicants should contact the relevant department to discuss the demands of the course and check any minimum entry requirements of each course, such as levels of Maths, number of Honours subjects required, or any other requirements of a particular course such as a portfolio, entrance test or audition. Details are available in the CIT prospectus or at: www.cit.ie/courses

  • 2019 Changes to the DARE eligibility criteria  for Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) – (PDF)
  • DARE applicants are informed by email on 25th June 2019 (details also in your online CAO application) if they are eligible or not for the DARE scheme. Full details of the Review and Appeals process is on the DARE website: http://accesscollege.ie/dare/making-an-application/dare-review-and-appeals/

  • CIT is also part of the HEAR Scheme (Higher Education Access Route) scheme which offers places on reduced points and extra college support to school leavers who have experienced socio-economic disadvantage, and who are resident in the Republic of Ireland. See http://accesscollege.ie/hear/ for more information or email hear@cit.ie

What DARE places are available in CIT?

There is a guideline quota of 5% of reduced points DARE places and 5% of reduced points HEAR places on all first year full-time Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) undergraduate courses.

Download this document to see the guideline number of places available on each individual CIT course:

 

How DO CIT MAKE DARE Offers?

CIT has admissions criteria and procedure for making Reduced DARE offers. Below is a summary of the criteria - please read the full criteria document here (PDF) for more information.

Please note that being eligible for DARE does not mean that you automatically gain points or a reduced points place - you are considered with other DARE eligible applicants for a reduced points place. Most DARE students get enough points for the course of their choice each year.

  • Applicants must be eligible for DARE.
  • Applicants must matriculate – they must meet the minimum entry requirements for each courselisted on each individual course description: www.cit.ie/courses.caocourseslist
  • Applicants are considered for Reduced DARE reduced points places if they are within a band of 50 points below the cut-off point on the date the DARE offers are made and only the applicant’s Leaving Certificate points will be considered.
  • Applicants must achieve a minimum of 200 CAO points.
  • Eligible DARE applicants under the Physical disability, Hearing impairment and Visual impairment categories will be offered priority Reduced DARE places.
  • Applicants who are eligible for both DARE and HEAR will also be eligible for priority places.
  • DARE reduced points and merit offers are made through CAO in Round 1, and some reduced points offers are made in Round 2 if there are places still available.

Conditions of accepting a DARE reduced offer:

  • Applicants who accept a DARE reduced place MUST apply for suppports with the CIT Disability Support Service as a condition of their offer.
  • Applicants who accept a priority HEAR/DARE reduced points place MUST apply for suppports with the CIT Disability Support Service and attend the compulsory HEAR orientation and engage with their HEAR advisor in the CIT Access Service as a condition of their offer.

 

Can I still get supports in CIT even if I am not eligible for DARE?

  • It is important to note that DARE is an admissions scheme and students may be eligible for supports even if they are not eligible for DARE.
  • We recommend that those students who are eligible for DARE and get enough points for their course should still apply for supports with the Disability Support Service (DSS).
  • Please note if students declare themselves through the CAO that they have a learning difference, health condition or disability, they must still apply for supports with the DSS if they come to CIT.
  • More information about the DSS support and applying for supports is available here and in our DSS Student Guide (PDF) *** .

 

DARE APPLICATION ADVICE SESSions 2019/20

CIT DSS gives information and advice on DARE at different events in the year:

  • CIT DARE 2019 Application Advice Session - Tuesday 5th November 2019 6.30pm - 8.00pm, CIT Bishopstown. Booking is essential - the link will be available in September.

  • CIT Open Day 2019 - Friday 15th November 2019 10am - 3pm. CIT DSS will be running sessions on  DARE/DSS supports throughout the day and there will be a DARE/CIT DSS information stand in the CIT Nexus, Student Centre, Bishopstown campus (www.cit.ie/openday)

  • CIT DARE Application Advice Session  - Wednesday 4th December 2019 6.30pm - 8.00pm  CIT Bishopstown. Booking is essential - the link will be available in September.

  • CIT DSS staff will be at the Cork DARE/HEAR Application Information Day, Saturday 11th January 2020, 10am- 2pm @ UCC.

  • CIT DSS will have short DSS/DARE information sessions at the CAO Information Evening on (DATE to be confirmed) May 2020 6.00-8.00pm in CIT Bishopstown.

Please sign up to our mailing list to be alerted on the CIT DARE Application Advice sessions running every year.