Getting an offer below the points (HEAR and DARE)
HEAR and DARE are national schemes that can get you a college offer below the published points. HEAR is for students whose family income or school circumstances meant less support. DARE is for students whose disability or ongoing illness affected their schooling.
What you actually do
- 1Apply through the CAO by 1 February and tick HEAR, DARE or both.
- 2Complete the extra online sections by 1 March.
- 3Send the supporting documents, income evidence for HEAR or medical evidence for DARE, by the mid-March deadline.
- 4If you qualify, you can receive an offer at points below the published cut-off, plus support once you start.
The dates that matter
1 February for the CAO application, 1 March for the online sections, mid-March for documents. Miss any of these and you cannot be considered that year.
The hard part, said plainly
The document deadlines are absolute and are missed every year over a single missing payslip or letter. Qualifying reduces the points needed, it does not guarantee an offer.
Courses you can get into this way
0 courses in our 2026 research set have this route. Type a course or college to narrow it down.
Questions students ask about this route
What is the difference between HEAR and DARE?
HEAR is based on socio-economic circumstances such as family income and your school. DARE is based on a disability or ongoing illness that affected your schooling. You can apply to both.
How many points does DARE take off?
There is no set figure. Each college sets a reduced cut-off for its DARE places each year, so the reduction varies by course and by year.