Springboard+ Explained: Free University Courses for Adults

If you're an adult in Ireland thinking about retraining, Springboard+ is the first scheme you should know about. It funds thousands of higher education places every year in the skills employers are actually short of — and for most applicants the courses are free or close to it.

What Springboard+ is

A government-funded programme offering courses from Level 6 (certificate) to Level 9 (masters) at universities, technological universities and colleges nationwide. Courses are chosen specifically to feed skills shortages: software development, data analytics, cybersecurity, sustainability and green skills, med-tech and biopharma, construction management, logistics, and more.

Most courses are part-time, many are online or blended, and they typically run 6–18 months — deliberately designed so people can retrain around a job or family.

What it costs

• If you're unemployed or returning to work: free.
• If you're employed: Level 6 courses are free; for courses at Level 7–9 you pay just 10% of the fee. A €3,000 course costs you €300.

That pricing makes Springboard+ one of the cheapest legitimate retraining routes in Europe.

Who's eligible

The scheme is open to people in employment, the self-employed, jobseekers, and returners (people who've been out of the workforce caring for others). You generally need to live in Ireland and meet the entry requirements of the individual course — many Level 8/9 conversion courses expect a prior degree (in any discipline), while Level 6/7 courses often don't.

What the courses are like

Real college courses with real workloads — expect evenings and assignments, not a casual webinar series. In return you get a genuine NFQ qualification from a recognised institution, classmates who are all career changers like you, and course content built with industry input. Many include work placements, which for career changers are often the door into the new field.

How to apply

1. Browse courses at springboardcourses.ie — you can filter by level, location, and subject.
2. Apply directly through the portal (applications typically open in late spring for autumn starts; popular courses fill early).
3. Upload proof of eligibility and any required qualifications.

You can hold offers from more than one course while you decide.

Choosing the right course

The classic Springboard+ mistake is picking a course because it's free rather than because it leads somewhere you want to go. Free is only free if you finish it and use it.

Work out the target career first, then find the Springboard+ course that serves it. If you're not sure what the target is, do that thinking before application season — talk to people in fields that interest you, and consider a structured career assessment like CourseCompass.ie to narrow the field before committing six months of evenings.

For the price of 10% of a course fee — or nothing at all — Springboard+ removes the biggest excuse most adults have for staying stuck. If the direction is right, it's about the best deal in Irish education.