SEC Education Grants – Supporting Protestant Education
The Secondary Education Committee (SEC) provides grants to help Protestants attend fee charging Protestant-managed Secondary Schools.
The SEC was established in 1968 to administer the Protestant Block Grant when free secondary education scheme was introduced in Ireland. It enables children to attend a secondary school which aligns with the child’s religious ethos, without being restricted by fees or where their home is geographically.
The grant is means tested and can be used to offset day fees or boarding fees. Day grants range from €150 to €3,081 and boarding grants from €250 to €8,217 depending on the applicant family means.
There are currently 51 eligible Protestant denominations, and a full list can be found on http://secgrant.ie/list-of-approved-churches/. Protestant churches not listed there can apply to be recognised.
Applicants to the grant are means tested and must meet eligibility criteria:
They must have received an acceptance letter from a participating school (see list of participating schools here http://secgrant.ie/links/).
Their church must be on the SEC recognised list of churches
They must be taxpayers or in receipt of social welfare payments in the Republic of Ireland in the tax year prior to their application
If applying for a boarding grant the distance from home to the school must be over 20km.
The Application process for 2020/21 is now open.