DARE or not, colleges offer supports

STUDENTS who applied to DARE — the scheme that allows school-leavers who experienced additional challenges in education because of a disability or learning difficulty entry to college on lower points — were advised in June as to the success of their application.

Those who were not successful will be disappointed, but it is important to remember that DARE is related to reduced points entry only.

You don’t have to be eligible for DARE to get support in college. Any student with a verified disability can access supports including orientation programmes, assistive technology, exam accommodations and academic tuition.

If a student indicated on the CAO form that they have a disability or specific learning difficulty, the college will already be aware that they may wish to access support.

Many colleges will make contact with the applicant once the offer has been accepted to invite them to learn more about the support on offer.

There will also be CAO applicants who did not tick this box, so the college does not know of their need.

In my experience, some applicants who could benefit from the services offered by the disability support service are unwilling or even afraid to make contact with this service.

They may feel that they should be able to succeed at third level and asking for support will result in them being judged. Applicants with learning difficulties may even feel that the university will not want such students in their institution, which, of course, is not the case.

CAO applicants can be particularly slow to ask for help if they have not qualified for, or needed, support during second-level school where strict criteria must be met in order to be awarded such support.

The transition to third level can be unexpectedly overwhelming for many students, irrespective of their disability status.

Remember, students are under no obligation to take up any support on offer from the college. However, they should ensure they are aware of the supports available to them which they can choose to access at a later date.