The Student Accommodation Financial Assistance for the 2026/2027 academic year is now closed.
Information on how to apply and contact information for the relevant Access Office is available at the bottom of the page.
Please review eligibility criteria before submitting the application.
Student Accommodation Financial Assistance for the 2026/2027 academic year
What is the Student Accommodation Assistance?
Established in 2024, the Student Accommodation Assistance Scheme provides targeted financial support towards accommodation costs for Traveller and Roma students and students with care experience. The aim is to alleviate the cost of accommodation as a barrier to accessing and progressing through higher education.
The Student Accommodation Assistance Scheme will continue to be delivered through the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for the 2026/27 academic year. The funding will be utilised to assist students from Traveller and Roma backgrounds and those with experience of the care system with the cost of accommodation, when living independently, while attending third level education. Funding for subsequent years will be subject to the annual budgetary negotiations and approvals.
Student Accommodation Assistance Eligibility
Students will not be required to prove that they are socio-economically disadvantaged to be eligible for the Student Accommodation Assistance. The purpose of this funding is to address one of the wider challenges of accessing third level education for specified minority group students.
To be eligible to apply for the Student Accommodation Assistance students must satisfy all the following criteria:
- Students must be ordinarily resident in Ireland.
- Students must be a member of one or more of the following groups:
- Traveller Community
- Roma Community
- Have experience of the care system between the ages of 12-18 and are not in receipt of an aftercare allowance.
What is meant by experience of the care system?
You have had care experience within the Republic of Ireland under a care order as legislated for in the Childcare Act 1991, including under Section 5 of the Act.
Students from one or more of these categories must be living independently for the purpose of attending third level education; this includes students renting away from home during the academic year and also those students with leases covering 12 months and beyond.
- Students must be living independently for the purpose of attending third level education, this includes students renting away from home/principal primary residence during the academic year with leases covering up to 12 months duration.
- Students must not be in receipt of another public accommodation support e.g., HAP, Rent Supplement or any other accommodation-related support that would result in duplication of public funding.
- Students can reside in on or off-campus student specific accommodation, private rented accommodation, house shares or rent-a-room accommodation. Student Accommodation Assistance funding cannot be used towards mortgage repayments or rent payable under social housing tenancies.
- Eligible students must be registered on a higher education course of at least one year’s duration leading to an award at NFQ Levels 6-10.
- In addition, students must also meet the eligibility criteria outlined in section 2.1 of the SAF Guideline, which can be found at this link - HERE
Both full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who meet the above specified criteria are eligible for Student Accommodation Assistance. Mature and repeat students are also eligible.Erasmus+ Student Eligibility Guidelines
Students who meet the eligibility criteria above and who are undertaking Erasmus+ mobility as part of their course of study remain eligible to apply for Student Accommodation Assistance, subject to the following conditions:
- Applicants must declare whether they are in receipt of an Erasmus+ grant or any other accommodation-related support.
- Student Accommodation Assistance funding must not duplicate accommodation funding provided from another public source.
- Where a student receives Erasmus+ funding or other public funding towards accommodation costs, the amount of Student Accommodation Assistance awarded may be adjusted to comply with the no double funding principle.
- Any award of Student Accommodation Assistance will be based on demonstrated need and the student's verified accommodation costs.
- Students in receipt of the student accommodation assistance can also avail of Student Assistance Fund support in SETU.
Please note that SETU cannot guarantee that all eligible students will be supported by this fund due to budgetary constraints.
Application Process Details:
- Closing date to apply October 16, 2026 @5:00pm
- For more information, including some very relevant and informative FAQ’s please click HERE
For any further queries, please email-
If you are a student studying on our Waterford campus [email protected]
If you are a student studying on our Carlow or Wexford campuses, please email [email protected]
