Eligibility
People in the following categories are eligible to apply for courses (subject to the applicant meeting all residency and nationality/visa requirements and any academic requirements):
Note: For Stamp 4 holders or Stamp 4 EU FAM, residency will be calculated from the date of receipt of the Stamp 4. Any period of residency in the state before this date will not be taken into consideration.
For the Certificate in Fund Accounting, 1 year full-time programme, the following categories are eligible to apply:
People in Employment
Please note that those in employment, under the Springboard+ 2023/24 initiative, 90% of the fees are covered by HEA and 10% of the fees are payable to the college for this category of applicants. The applicant must also meet the nationality/visa requirements and residency criteria, i.e. they must be able to demonstrate that they have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/UK/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to the programme. Either the applicant or their employer can pay these fees. Should your employer be paying your fees, please contact us and we can forward you a company sponsorship form in order to invoice to your employer.
PROOF OF EMPLOYMENT DOCUMENTATION:
A copy of a most recent payslip
Fees: The fee for the Certificate in Fund Accounting is €2,400, of which you pay 10% = €240
Returners
Returners are those who are not in receipt of a payment from the Department of Social Protection, have previous history of employment but may require upskilling or reskilling to transition back to the workforce. Applicants must have been a homemaker or on other caring duties or economically dependent on a partner or spouse for a minimum period of 9 of the previous 12 months.
PROOF OF RETURNER DOCUMENTATION:
Applicants must swear a declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths attesting to their status. A form to complete this process is available here.
It should be noted that acceptance onto a Springboard+ course does not confer any entitlement to DEASP payments or childcare supports.
Fees: The fees for this programme under this category are fully funded at 100%.
The Unemployed
Applicants must be in receipt of any of the following social welfare payments:
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Jobseekers Benefit
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Jobseekers Allowance
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One Parent Family
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Disability Allowance
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Qualified Adults of Working Age
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Carers Allowance
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Farm Assist/Fish Assist
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Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory or Non-contributory Pension
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Blind Pension
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Deserted Wives Allowance
Please Note: Those signing for social insurance contribution credits are also eligible to apply.
PROOF OF UNEMPLOYED DOCUMENTATION:
Most recent copy receipt of payment of any of the above categories.
OR
A copy of a bank statement showing receipt of payments will suffice. If this is provided, please ensure you redact your account number, BIC and IBAN but your name should remain visible.
Please Note:
There is no requirement to be in receipt of a payment for a particular period of time prior to the commencement of the programme.
Participants in receipt of one of the above payments at the time the Springboard+ course commences, are eligible to apply for a place on that course. However, providers will be required to give priority to applications from people who are long-term unemployed.
Fees: The fees for this programme under this category are fully funded at 100%.
Self-Employed
Self-employed applicants are eligible to apply.
PROOF OF SELF-EMPLOYED DOCUMENTATION:
A letter from their accountant or relevant documentation from Revenue showing that they are self-employed in Ireland would suffice
Fees: The fee for the Certificate in Fund Accounting is €3,200, of which you pay 10% = €320
Previously Self-Employed and actively seeking employment
People participating in the Community Employment Scheme; the Rural Social Scheme; Tús or in receipt of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance or the Short Term Enterprise Allowance may apply for Springboard+ and, with the approval of a Department of Social Protection Case Officer, take up a Springboard+ course.
PROOF OF PREVIOUSLY SELF-EMPLOYED DOCUMENTATION:
A letter/statement from Revenue confirming that the applicant is no longer trading or a similar letter from the applicants (former) accountant.
Fees: The fees for this programme under this category are fully funded at 100%.
Application Procedures
All applications must be submitted online via the Springboard+ website. Please note that the documentation supporting the applicants status will be required as part of the application process. Please visit the Springboard+ website for further information on participant eligibility and funding eligibility requirements.
The following documents are required by DBS as part of the application process. When you apply through the Springboard+ website, a member of the DBS Admissions Team will be in touch in relation to requesting the following documents:
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Academic Transcripts of results (this is a breakdown of each year, all the modules studied and all results achieved). If these transcripts are in a language other than English, we will require the originals together with official translated copies.
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Proof of ID - Driver's Licence of Passport.
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Proof of residency for all applicants for three of the last five years. This can be revenue documents, letter from DEASP office or letter from previous or current employer.
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For Non-EU Applicants currently residing in Ireland, a copy of your Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) Card or proof of residency is required to demonstrate that you have been residing in the EU for three of the last five years.
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For applicants who do not hold the required qualification and are applying through APEL (Approved Prior Experiential Learning), a recently updated and detailed CV is required with education and work experience to date. In addition, a personal statement is required outlining your reasons for applying for the course and why you would be a suitable candidate. This should be in the format of a word document and have between 500 and 700 words.
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For applicants whose first language is not English and who have not previously undertaken a degree taught through English, evidence must be provided of proficiency in English language equivalent to B2+ or above on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). This must be evidenced through a recognised English Language Test such as IELTS, Cambridge, PTE, Duolingo, or DBS English Placement Test. Test certificates must be dated within the last two years.
