It’s not too late to apply for one of the many tertiary degrees on offer in Ireland

Any learner, including those who received their Leaving Cert results last Friday, can still apply for a place on one of 25 tertiary degree programmes on offer across 42 locations through the National Tertiary Office (nto.ie). The tertiary degree presents an opportunity for applicants of all ages and all backgrounds to achieve the degree of their dreams which, otherwise, due to various challenges, could be out of reach.

Tertiary degrees present an NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications) level 7 or 8 pathway for applicants who may have a poverty of expectation regarding how high they can aim when it comes to postsecondary study.

Their benefits include lower fees, tailored entry requirements, unique programme design and local opportunities for study. These combine to create a unique support mechanism and level the playing field by taking a holistic approach to increasing equitable access.

Tertiary Bachelor's Degrees still available.

Entry requirements

Entry isn’t based on Leaving Certs points, but instead looks at student drive, suitability, skills, and ability. This is currently the only direct entry pathway for school leavers into NFQ level 7/8 outside of the traditional entry route.
Tertiary degrees have a combination of multiple entry criteria (ie Leaving Cert, LCA, mature students, RPL, based on personal statement and interview). These were designed to create the most equitable access possible for a wide range of applicants. Not a one-size-fits-all approach; instead, it is more student centric and student led.
If a course is in high demand, entry priority is based on the applicant’s long-term career goals, current skills, a student’s need for local study, and fostering their future potential. Again, there is no points system – if there are multiple students competing for the same spot, none of them will be let down by numbers.
The entry requirements for tertiary degrees have been developed to facilitate access, widen participation, diversify student population and open new doors.

Fees and financial barriers

No tuition fee or student contribution fee while attending the FET portion of degree delivery, thus reducing the cost of a degree by up to half, depending on the model of study.
Students are eligible to apply for SUSI HE grants while at both the ETB and HEI.
Dual financial benefits; the removal of fees at FET combined with SUSI grants eligibility mean that a tertiary degree is currently one of the most cost-effective pathways to completing a level 7 or 8 degree in Ireland.
Tertiary degrees commence at an FET campus, thus reducing accommodation costs for local applicants. Moving, housing, balancing work and academics during your first year at a new level of study are all considerable financial and academic barriers that keep people from pursuing their dreams. New research in Ireland is showing that many students who leave degrees early or choose not to enrol are doing so because of the costs (particularly the costs of moving away to college). The tertiary degree is a local bridge that allows students to start the degree pathway but with additional time to save.

Location

Because the first/second years of tertiary degree study are taught in an ETB FET campus, there are now an additional 19 locations across the State where students can start NFQ level 7/8.
Local students will have less distance to travel for their initial years.
Tertiary degrees are part of the regions-first development of the sector nationally.
Students from outside that ETB region may move to regions with smaller populations/rental demand than their local region, as many ETBs have training centres outside large cities. This may be a selling point for students from large cities who are priced out of studying locally.

Seamless progression

Currently, the tertiary degree is the only seamless guaranteed pathway from ETB FET study into HEI, all housed within one application process.
There is a guaranteed pathway, subject to passing exams, into an HEI. This is not necessarily the case with other existing level 5/6 study, which may not be aligned with the HEI entry requirements or have limited progression numbers for FE students.

Non-academic support and services

Access at both campuses to dual support and services including libraries, sports and other campus facilities, as well as academic, health and wellbeing supports.
Student card issued for both campuses.
Tertiary managers support students at a local level; the NTO advocates for the programmes at a macro level.
Students can network with each other and represent their success at events such as the NTO conference.
Small cohort sizes and collaborative assignments mean students get to know each other throughout the degree and form lifelong friendships. One of the factors in student drop out at HEIs is student loneliness.

Academic support

Starting at an ETB is a bridging pathway to ease the jump from secondary school dependent learning styles to the independent learning expected at HEI.
The semi-independent pedagogy at ETBs is student centred, with smaller classroom sizes, more hands-on learning support for core academic skills and courses created with the student in mind.
Tertiary degrees bridge the space between secondary school classrooms and impersonal lecture halls, both in terms of support available and the actual structures of learning spaces. No one is wandering into a daunting 500-plus person lecture theatre their first year.
The approach taken beaks down the psychological barriers students may have about traditional tertiary level study.
Creating a sense of psychological and academic safety early in the degree will allow students to thrive once they enter the HEI. Foundational academic skills and student confidence are addressed early and effectively.
Students will also have engagements with the HEI and meet lecturers on the HEI campus during their ETB years. This allows the student to become familiar with the campus environment, understand the course expectations, build relationships and clarify any doubts or concerns they may have about progressing into the next stage, increasing student participation and retention.

Embedded awards

Embedded awards are available after the FE part of the study is completed and in some programmes after year one of the FE-delivered part of the course (subject to passing exams).
This means that students know in advance of enrolment that they can get recognition of learning throughout their studies.
Certification at the end of non-final years allows students to more accurately track their progress year-to-year against NFQ levels.
Embedded awards mean students who must leave before the final year of study could possibly re-enter tertiary study in the future.
This feature is not found in other degree programmes and was designed to meet the actual realities of study in contemporary Ireland, particularly the high dropout rate, which is worsening due to non-academic factors such as student housing, financial requirements and personal life challenges.

Career-first approach and sector innovation

Courses are designed to meet local industry/employer requirements or to address gaps in the Irish labour market.
The NTO relationship with sectoral partners (such as the HSE) while planning new tertiary degrees align the programmes closely with employer requirements.
Tertiary degrees allow for sector-wide innovation, as the creation of new courses pairs together the best of FE and HE. Providers may not just model tertiary degrees on existing degree pathways but can combine their talents in unique ways to create courses not available at either the FE or the HE.