Scholarships & Bursaries

Through our CFA programmes, we offer a range of subsidies and bursaries to help you gain the in-demand skills you need to develop your career.

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What is a CFA Scholarship?

Our CFA scholarships offer the opportunity for learners to sample a range of different short courses across NCAD, IADT and UCD and to unlock their creative talent.

CFA offers one scholarship per course,  applications are assessed by an independent panel and awarded to eligible applicants.

How much is the scholarship worth?

A CFA scholarship represents a fee waiver for successful applicants for the course of their choice.

One scholarship is offered per course.

Students who are successful in their scholarship application will be required to commit to the following: Providing a 300-word essay/personal statement that outlines their course of study and the scholarship’s impact. To be sent on completion of the course.

Application forms are below:

CFA at IADT Scholarship application form

CFA at NCAD Scholarship application form

What are the criteria?

To be eligible for a CFA Scholarship, all applicants must meet the eligibility criteria outlined below.

Financial + Priority Group + College Entry = Eligible for consideration.

Eligible CFA Scholarship applicants must be from one or more of the following priority groups:

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds or from communities who have low levels of participation in higher education. This includes:

  • Students who have a household income of less than €24,500;
  • Students who have experienced homelessness, the care system, survivors of domestic violence, and those who have experience of the criminal justice system
  • Irish Travellers
  • Asylum seekers
  • Members of the Roma community
  • First-time mature students
  • 2nd chance mature students
  • Students who are carers (confirmed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) as holding a long-term means-tested carer’s allowance)
  • Students with a disability
  • Lone parents or teen parents (confirmed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) as holding a long-term means-tested social welfare payment)
  • Ethnic minorities
  • Further education and training award holders progressing to higher education
  • Applicants must be Irish, EU, EEA, UK or Swiss National or have specific leave to remain in the State. If you have EU nationality or official refugee status, then you may also apply. Applicants need to have been living in Ireland, the EU, EEA or Switzerland for the past three out of five years.

Scholarships

CFA Scholarship

A CFA scholarship encourages the participation of learners from sections of society that are significantly under-represented in higher education by offering one free place on all of our CFA short courses.

Bursaries

Louth Arts Office

The Arts Service of Louth County Council has joined forces with Creative Spark who are working with CFA to offer bursaries to Louth-based artists seeking to gain new qualifications and skills to expand their practice through the Professional Diploma in Digital Making with NCAD and Creative Spark. There will be four bursaries of €500 which will be awarded through an application process.

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Human Capital Initiative HCI Pillar 3 Micro-Credentials Subsidy funding

Creative Futures Academy has been awarded a total of €315,640 from the Human Capital Initiative HCI Pillar 3 Micro-Credentials Subsidy funding. Subsidies will range from 50 - 80% of the total course costs for eligible learners. Applications are now open for a number of courses with more coming on-stream in late 2024 and 2025. Terms & Conditions apply

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Kilkenny Arts Office Bursaries

Kilkenny Arts Office has joined forces with CFA to offer bursaries again this year to Kilkenny based artists seeking to gain new qualifications and skills to expand their practice. The bursaries range from €500 to a maximum of €2,000.

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Design Skillnet

Creative Futures Academy is excited to announce our collaboration with Design Skillnet. This collaboration means we can offer a special rate to successful applicants (employed / freelance / sole traders that are ROI residents) for some courses.

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Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet Collaboration

Creative Futures Academy is delighted to collaborate with Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet to offer a special partnership rate for a range of upcoming courses. This support means we can offer a partnership fee to successful applicants (employed / freelance / sole traders that are ROI residents)

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