CAO Supplementary Admissions Route
AIT offers a supplementary admissions entry scheme through the CAO Supplementary Admissions Route for applicants with disabilities/specific learning difficulties.
This scheme recognizes that the impact of a disability may inhibit a student’s ability to reach their full academic potential and thus they may not achieve the required competitive points for the course of their choice. To address this difficulty students deemed eligible for inclusion in this scheme may enter college below the points cut-off.
Guidelines for applicants with disabilities 2009
- The College will ensure that general recruitment materials make specific reference to admission opportunities for people with disabilities, and that these materials are available in appropriately accessible formats.
- Applicants with disabilities applying for full-time undergraduate courses of the Institute will apply via the Central Applications Office (CAO) and indicate on the application form that they have a disability/specific learning difficulty by ticking the appropriate box. This information is used to (a) evaluate eligibility for the supplementary admissions route and (b) to provide information in order to put supports in place once the student has entered college.
- Applicants who have ‘ticked the box’ to indicate that they have a disability/specific learning difficulty will be required to fill out a Supplementary information form. For applicants applying online, this form can be downloaded from the CAO website. For those applying by post (on paper) this form will be sent to you by the CAO.
- Students are deemed eligible for consideration in the supplementary admissions route for students with disabilities if the following criteria are met:
- A fully completed CAO Supplementary Information form is returned to the CAO
- Specific disability documentation provided is deemed acceptable. In the case of students with specific learning difficulties specific criteria applies (see CAO Guide below)
- Inclusion in the supplementary admissions route does not make students exempt from meeting minimum entry requirements for the course of their choice.
- All applications for the Supplementary Admissions Route (from each of the 10 participating HEIs) are evaluated centrally. Eligibility is determined on the basis of criteria specific to each disability.
- Applications deemed eligible for inclusion in the supplementary admissions route are reviewed by the admissions office, disability support service and registrar’s office in conjunction with the relevant academic staff in the institute.
- Eligibility for the supplementary admissions route does not guarantee entry to the student’s course of choice, as
- students may not meet the minimum entry requirements
- the demand for places may exceed the number of places available
- students may not be able to fulfill core elements of the course which are necessary to graduate. Should this occur the student is invited in to the institute to discuss alternate options.
- Eligibility for the supplementary admissions route does not guarantee entry to the student’s course of choice, as
- After an offer has been made, the Disability Support Service Coordinator will consult with each student to discuss the details of any reasonable accommodation as part of a confidential needs assessment.
- At the beginning of each academic year the Disability Support Service Coordinator, via Heads of Department will ensure that all relevant academic staff are informed about specific arrangements for students with disabilities.
- Individual orientation programmes for students will be arranged on request and will take place prior to the College's general induction programme. The College’s general induction programme will be inclusive of the requirements of students with disabilities.
Click here to access the CAO Guidelines to the Supplementary Admission Route
