*To meet the income indicator the total income - before tax and PRSI - of your parents or guardians for the year ending 31 December 2010 must be within the HEAR income limit (see table below).
You must have a low family income to be eligible for HEAR. For the purposes of HEAR a low family income is determined by:
- How many children are in your family;
- How many people in your family are in full time education;
- Your family's total income.
Use the information in the table to estimate if your total family income is below the HEAR 2012 Income Threshold.
A dependent child is a child under the age of 16 years on 1 October 2012, or over 16 years and attending a full time educational institution or medically certified as permanently unfit for work.
| Number of dependent children in your family | HEAR 2012 Income Limit |
| Less than 4 | 48,811 |
| 4-7 | 53,637 |
| More than 8 | 58,230 |
| Add €4,980 to the total income for every sibling/parent enrolled in a full time college, university or post leaving certificate further education course. | |
What is the Higher Education Grant Scheme?
The Higher Education Grant Scheme is a means-tested scheme put in place by the Department of Educution and Skills to help students on low income with the cost of going to college. Each year, the Department of Educution and Skills reviews the income limits for eligibility for the Higher Education Grant and increases these in line with inflation.
What HEAR is not?
HEAR is not a maintenance grant, it is an admissions scheme to help students who may not traditionally to on to third level. If you apply to HEAR you must also apply to your local city or county council or VEC for your maintenance grant.
The maintenance grant is the main source of financial help available from the Irish State for students in full time post leaving certificate cources (PLC's) and full time education undergraduate and post graduate courses.
More Information
Please see www.student finance.ie for more information on student grants.You can also find more information on the Higher Education Grant Scheme on the Citizen's Advice Website.