DARE admissions scheme for students with disabilities

The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a college admissions scheme. It helps students with disabilities, who have experienced additional educational challenges, to access college.

Students with disabilities can also contact their college’s disability or access service, which is responsible for giving support and advice.

Can I apply for both the DARE and HEAR schemes?

The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college admissions scheme for school leavers from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

You can apply to both DARE and HEAR if you think you’re eligible. You must submit all the documents needed for both schemes.

If you are eligible for both schemes, you’ll be prioritised for a college place at the CAO offers stage.

DARE helps eligible school-leavers with a disability (or specific learning difficulty) to get into college by offering some places with lower entry points, known as 'reduced points'.

You apply for DARE through the Central Applications Office (CAO).

Find details of the third-level colleges participating in DARE.

Reduced points places

Once you have been accepted as eligible for DARE, you compete for ‘reduced point places’ based on your Leaving Certificate results.

A reduced point place means you can get a place on your chosen third-level course, even if you don’t have enough CAO points. For example, if you’re eligible for DARE and you get 350 points in your Leaving Certificate, you may be offered a place on a course that is 360 points.

You must still meet the minimum entry requirements, and any specific course entry requirements (for example, a certain grade in maths or Irish).

Telling the college about your disability

To apply for a college place with DARE, you must give details about your disability. Providing this information on your college application will not negatively affect your application. It helps the college consider what supports you need for your education, so it can arrange to put these in place.

If you choose not to tell your college about your disability, you won't be eligible for DARE. However, you can let your college know about your disability, specific learning difficulty, or any significant ongoing illness either during the application process, or at any time during your course.

Disability or Access Services in colleges

If you have indicated on your CAO form that you have a disability or specific learning difficulty, the college's Disability Service will be informed when you accept a place, and they will contact you to work out what supports they can provide.

Even if you have not applied for DARE, you can still access disability supports by contacting the college's Disability Service at any stage during your course.

To qualify for DARE, you must:

• Be aged under 23 on 1 January 2026
• Provide evidence of your disability
• Provide a statement about how your disability has affected your education

Disabilities considered under DARE include:

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome)
• Blind or vision impaired
• Deaf or hearing impaired
• Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) – Dyspraxia
• Dyscalculia or significant numeracy difficulties
• Dyslexia or significant literacy difficulties
• Mental health condition
• Neurological condition (including brain injury and epilepsy)
• Physical disability
• Significant ongoing illness
• Speech and language communication disorder

If you’re accepted as eligible for DARE, you then compete for the reduced point places based on your Leaving Certificate results.

You can also apply to DARE with A-Levels from the UK, or other EU qualifications.

You apply for the DARE scheme through the Central Applications Office (CAO). You must apply by 5pm, 1 February 2026.

To complete your application, you must:

• Disclose your disability in your CAO application, and complete Section A of the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) by 5pm, 1 March 2026.
• Post Section B and Section C of the Supplementary Information Form (SIF) to the CAO by 5pm, 10 March 2026.

Late CAO applications are not considered for DARE (see ‘table of key dates for DARE applications 2026’ below).

What is the Supplementary Information Form?

The Supplementary Information Form is divided into 4 sections, and:

• Confirms that you want to apply for DARE
• Tells third level colleges which supports you may need based on your disability.

You can download each section of the form from the Access College website.

Include your CAO number on all documents before posting, and get proof of posting from An Post.

What happens if my application is late?

No applications are accepted after the closing dates. DARE is an additional application procedure which needs extra processing time.

When do I hear the outcome of my application?

You will be told whether or not you are eligible for the scheme by the end of June 2026 (after the Leaving Certificate exams).

If you’re told you are not eligible, you can ask for your application to be reviewed.

If you are not eligible for DARE, you can still get into college if you meet the entry requirements for your chosen course.

Can I defer a college offer to the following year and carry my DARE eligibility?

Eligibility for DARE can be carried forward for 1 year if you apply to CAO by 1 February of the next year.

You can call the CAO helpline at (091) 509 800 for help with your DARE application.

You can also contact the access services of the colleges participating in the DARE scheme.

Read:

• The list of frequently asked questions about DARE on the Access College website
• The DARE application handbook 2026 (pdf)

You can attend information sessions run by the DARE programme.

Or, contact the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) for information about student services and accessing college.