Returning to education with Springboard+

Springboard+ provides free higher education courses if:

• You are unemployed
• You are looking to return to work

You can also apply for a Springboard+ course if you are working, but you must pay a 10% contribution towards the course fee (Level 6 courses are free).

What courses can I do?

Springboard has part-time courses from Certificate (Level 6) to Master's degree (Level 9) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

Most of the courses are part-time and last for one year or less, but there are some full-time courses. Most courses are delivered online or as blended learning that combines online and classroom learning.

Courses offered include:

• Information and communications technology (ICT)
• Medical technologies
• Cybersecurity
• Sustainable energy
• Creative industries
• Artificial intelligence

Find out more about the courses you can do with Springboard+.

Applications for Springboard+ courses for 2025-2026 are now open (see ‘How to apply’ below).

You can apply for Springboard+ if you are:

• Unemployed
• Employed
• A recent graduate
• Returning to education or work after being a carer or homemaker
• Updating your ICT skills

You must:

• Be living in Ireland
• Have your PPS number
• Meet the residency requirements
• Meet other eligibility criteria for EU and non-EU applicants

If you have been granted International Temporary Protection in Ireland, you may also be eligible.

Places on Springboard+ courses are limited. People who are on a qualifying social welfare payment will have priority when places are allocated.

Read more about eligibility for Springboard+ below.

To qualify for a free Springboard+ course, you must:

• Be unemployed
• Be actively seeking work
• Be available to take up work

Qualifying social welfare payments

When starting a Springboard+ course, you must either be getting a qualifying social welfare payment or be in one of the other eligible categories listed below.

Qualifying social welfare payments include:

• Jobseeker’s Benefit
• Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit
• Jobseeker's Transitional payment
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Disability Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Farm Assist and Fish Assist
• Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension
• Blind Pension
• Deserted Wife’s Allowance

You can also apply for Springboard+ if:

• You are a qualified adult of working age (under 66) on someone else’s social welfare payment
• You are signing for social insurance credits

Employment support schemes

You are also eligible for Springboard+ (with approval from a Department of Social Protection Employment Personal Advisor) if you are on one of the following schemes or payments:

• Community Employment
• Rural Social Scheme
• Tús
• Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
• Short-Term Enterprise Allowance

Is there an age limit?

Generally, there are no age restrictions unless you are a qualified adult on someone else’s social welfare payment. However, you must meet the eligibility criteria for both Springboard+ and your chosen course.

You are eligible for Springboard+ if you were previously self-employed but are now unemployed and actively seeking work. You don’t need to be getting a social welfare payment.

You must meet the residency criteria and provide a letter or statement from Revenue stating that you are no longer trading (or a similar letter from your former accountant).

If you are employed or self-employed, meet the nationality or visa requirements, and meet the residency requirements, you can apply to any available Springboard+ courses.

You can apply for any Level 8 ICT skills conversion course through Springboard+ if:

• You recently completed a full-time Level 8 degree course, and
• You graduated within 12 months of the start date of the ICT skills conversion course.

You must also meet the residency and nationality criteria.

Recent graduates aren’t eligible for part-time courses, micro-credential courses, or Level 9 ICT skills conversion courses.

However, if you completed a full-time undergraduate degree course (Level 8), you can apply for a Level 9 postgraduate course one year after the date that you graduated.

You are eligible for Springboard+, if you have been out of the work environment due to childcare or other caring obligations and require upskilling or reskilling to get back to the workforce.

To qualify, you must meet the residency criteria and one of the following requirements:

• You have been on home or other caring duties for 9 of the previous 12 months, or
• You are economically dependent on a partner or spouse and have been unemployed for 9 of the previous 12 months

You must provide supporting documentation and swear a declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths (pdf) about your status.

An ICT skills conversion course is when you retrain to start a career in the technology sector.

If you were getting Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance for at least 9 of the previous 12 months, you may get a Back to Education Allowance while participating on a one-year, full-time ICT skills conversion course.

Unemployed people

You do not have to pay any course fees or charges if you are unemployed.

If you take up a Springboard+ course, you can keep your existing social welfare payment if you continue to fulfil the conditions for the payment. If you have started a course and lose your qualifying social welfare payment, you can continue your course.

If you are getting a jobseeker’s payment and participating on a part-time Springboard+ course, you will continue to get your jobseeker’s payment under the Part-Time Education Option (PTEO).

If you are getting a jobseeker’s payment and you are on a full-time course, you may have the option to transfer to a Back to Education Allowance (BTEA).

If you take up a job while on a course, Springboard+ will fund the fees for the full academic year.

If your course extends into another academic year(s), the fees will be decided by your college.

Employed people

If you are employed, you must pay 10% towards the course fee at Level 7, 8 and 9 on the NFQ. However, Level 6 courses are free.

If you are getting the Working Family Payment (WFP), or if you are on a Community Employment Scheme at the start of the course, you will not have to pay the 10% course fee contribution.

Recent graduates

Recent graduates must pay 10% of the tuition fee for ICT skills conversion courses.

Applications for Springboard+ 2025-2026 are now open.

To apply for a Springboard+ course, you choose the course(s) you are interested in on the Springboard+ website and apply online.

Read instructions on how to apply on the Springboard+ website.

If you are getting a social welfare payment, you should:

• Contact your Intreo Centre or local Social Welfare Branch Office
• Check what further steps (if any) you need to take

You can apply for up to 10 courses, but you can only take one course at a time.

Read answers to frequently asked questions on the Springboard+ website.

You should contact course providers directly if you have queries about course applications. You can find contact details for course providers on the Springboard+ website.

You can contact the Higher Education Authority by email about other Springboard+ queries: springboard@hea.ie.

If Springboard+ doesn’t meet your needs, there are several other ways to go back to education.