Congratulations on receiving your CAO offer, which means it’s time to start preparing for your first steps on your third-level journey. Here at Carlow College, St. Patrick’s, we are busy preparing our campus for the arrival of new and returning students, and we really look forward to welcoming approximately 600 students in the coming weeks.
This year will be a new beginning for you – a chance to start with a clean slate! And we want to ensure that you are provided with the best start possible.
Here’s all you need to know to have a smooth transition to third level study
So you’ve received your CAO offer – now what? It is important to accept your offer before the deadline. Check out this useful video from CAO all about the Offer process – how to accept, what happens after you accept, and some key dates to keep in mind over the coming days and weeks.
If you want to defer your offer, follow the process outlined here
With the release of each Round of offers, our team will be online on our CAO Helpdesk to answer all your questions about studying with Carlow College. You can also head over to our Instagram at @carlowcollegestpatricks where we often host online Q&As.
Once you’ve accepted your offer of a place at Carlow College, the next step will be to register for your programme. You’ll receive an email from our Student Academic Administration team with all the details on how to register after the acceptance deadline has passed for each offer round. This will be sent to the email address you used when you applied to the CAO.
Registration for New Students 2024/25 will be open soon. Check out this useful video from our Admissions Team about how to register.
And, of course, if you have any questions about registration, visit our Registration page or contact our Admissions Team at admissionscc@carlowcollege.ie
Garda Vetting
All students on programmes with professional placements are required to undergo Garda Vetting prior to commencing placement. Details of the Garda vetting procedures can be found under ‘Other Admission Information’ here.
Fees
Your fees will be assessed as one of the following:
- Self-Paying Fees, OR
- Grant Approved/Pending
1. Self-Paying Fees
The Student Contribution Fee for the Academic Year 2024/25 is €3,000.
The student contribution/registration fee for most students registering at Carlow College in September 2024 is €3,000 (except students enrolling on B.A. (Hons) in Psychology – see below). A minimum of €1500 must be paid in full before a student is deemed registered. The remaining €1500 (balance) must be paid before the 1st of February 2025. No student will be registered or receive a student card unless at least €1500 is paid on or before onsite registration at the college.
Students who wish to pay using our Online Payment facility can do so by logging back into Student Profile/Gateway, and clicking PAY FEES tab on the Home Page.
Students enrolling on our B.A. (Hons) in Psychology (PC414), are required to pay annual course fees of €4,900 (which includes the Student Contribution Fee and annual Learner Protection Insurance). You may pay this in full or a 50% deposit on the date of registration. The remaining balance must be paid before the 1st of February 2025.
2. Grants
If you have secured grant approval for your student contribution/registration fee, you must upload the grant approval letter through the online registration link or provide a copy of the approval letter to the Admission Office. Carlow College will invoice SUSI/Local Authority for your registration fees.
If you have not received approval and are awaiting confirmation, Carlow College will register you as a student; however, you are required to upload proof of your SUSI application, by uploading a copy of SUSI correspondence. If you are SUSI Pending your registration is subject to the following rules:
- You are required to show proof of your grant application via screenshot, letter or email.
- Read and accept Carlow College’s Terms and Conditions of Registration.
- Carlow College will demand full payment of €3000 on 1 February 2025 if your grant is still pending. If you are successful getting a grant thereafter Carlow College will reimburse your payment on receipt of funds from the Authority and your submission of bank details to Accounts.
- As soon as you secure grant approval, you must submit the letter to the Admissions Office.
The following payment options are available:
- Online Payment-Visa/Visa Debit cards. Online payments can be made once online registration is completed by logging back into your student profile and by selecting the Pay Fees option. We strongly recommend that, where possible, you use the online payment facility
- Chip & Pin terminal in the Admissions Office at Carlow College
- Postal Order-Payable to Carlow College, St. Patrick’s
- Bank Draft-Payable to Carlow College, St. Patrick’s
- Credit Union Cheques-Payable to Carlow College St. Patrick’s
- By EFT or Credit Transfer- Bank details can be found in the Student Gateway or by emailing accounts@carlowcollege.ie
Orientation & Induction
Orientation & Induction for first year students will take place on the 12th & 13th September. Full induction schedules are available on our Student Portal here.
Accommodation
There is no on-campus accommodation available for students, however, Carlow is a bustling student town with plenty of private rental accommodation available for students.
The most popular way to find accommodation is through accommodation website. Accommodation may also be found through local auctioneers and in local newspapers. The following list of websites might be helpful to you
There is also Hatch Student Living student accommodation in the centre of Carlow town. These tend to book up early, but you can register your interest.
Further information and advice about accommodation is available here
Commuting to College
For those who intend to commute to College, Carlow is serviced by train and bus services that connect to Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Kildare, Laois and Dublin. You can find details of routes and timetables here.
For those driving, there is lots of parking on-campus for a small annual fee of €30, which you can pay at Reception.
