CAO 2023: Round one college offers to issue on August 30th

Thousands of college applicants will receive their round one Central Applications Office (CAO) offers on Wednesday, August 30th.

It follows confirmation earlier his week that Leaving Cert results will issue five days earlier on Friday, August 25th.

The CAO said round one offers for school-leaving applicants will issue on Wednesday, August 30th at 2pm. Applicants typically have several days accept their offer of a college place.

Round two offers will follow on Monday, September 11th at 2pm.

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Universities have yet to say whether they will be able enrol first year students in time for the scheduled start of the academic year which, in most cases, is September 11th next.

While some have signalled privately that they may have to delay the start of teaching for first years by week or so, others are hopeful they will be able to keep to their published timetables.

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris welcomed confirmation that CAO offers will issue on the “earliest date there has been since Covid-19.”

“This is really welcome news. It will provide certainty for students and their families,” he said. “We will continue to work with colleagues in third level to increase the opportunities available for all students.”

Speaking about the offers schedule, Eileen Keleghan of the CAO said staff had been working with colleagues in the higher education institutions and the State Examinations Commission to finalise the 2023 offers schedule.

“The processing schedule for round one offers cannot commence until CAO receives the Leaving Certificate examination results data from the State Examinations Commission,” she said.

“CAO and higher education institutions will endeavour to complete the offer allocation process and issue offers in a similar time frame to previous years, as soon as this data becomes available. The State Examinations Commission has indicated a date when the results data will be released to CAO, and CAO and HEIs have built the schedule accordingly.”

She reminded applicants that the “change-of-mind facility” to add and change course choices closes on July 1st at 5pm.

[ My daughter narrowly missed out on her dream CAO course. Is there an alternative further education entry route? ]

“Applicants who have yet to add any courses, or those wish to make changes, should take note of this deadline and ensure to make any changes in a timely manner.”

This month, CAO has begun emailing all applicants asking them to check and confirm their account information. This email is called the ‘statement of application’ email, and it contains important instructions for applicants to check their account information and modify any missing or incorrect information, for example, a missing or incorrect examination number, before it is too late.

The 2023 offers season will commence on Thursday, July 6th at 10am with the issue of Round A offers for mature applicants, mature nursing/midwifery applicants and deferred applicants. Offers are also issued to some applicants who have completed an access course or those who may be required to make visa arrangements.

Round 0 offers will issue on Thursday, August 3rd to graduate entry medicine applicants, additional mature applicants, deferred and Access applicants, and applicants presenting QQI FET/FETAC qualifications for consideration for entry to courses with a quota for QQI FET applicants.