MHI Tony Leahy Bursary Application Form
DCU Certificate in Peer Support Working in Mental Health

Bursary Information

The Bursary for the Certificate in Peer Support Working in Mental Health is a joint collaboration between Mental Health Ireland and School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University.

  • Bursaries are awarded up to a maximum of 50% of course fees. (Bursaries of up to 100% of course fees are available to members of the Traveller community and those who identify as an international protection applicant, or a person granted international protection i.e. an asylum seeker, refugee, or person who has been granted Discretionary Leave to Remain (DLR).)
  • Bursaries are competitive, may vary in amount and strict eligibility criteria will apply.
  • The closing date for receipt of Tony Leahy Bursary Applications is Friday 25th August 2023.
  • Bursary Applications received after this date will not be considered. 
  • Please note that bursaries awarded will be in respect of the programme commencing within the year in which the application is made only.
  • You must apply directly to Dublin City University for a place on the course. This application is just for the Tony Leahy Bursary. Mental Health Ireland are not involved in the management of the course itself or in the student recruitment for the course. 

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

There are two key selection criteria which Mental Health Ireland will apply in order to determine eligibility. These are:

  1. Membership of one of Mental Health Ireland’s two Target Groups (listed below).
  2. Relevance of information included in the Application Form.

Mental Health Ireland will prioritise applications received from the following target groups listed below in order of descending priority, where Group 1 receives highest priority. Applicants who are a member of more than one eligible group will receive an additional weighting.

Group 1:         Peers / persons having self-experience of mental health difficulties.

Group 2:         Family members / carers of people who use the mental health services.

In any year, should the number of equally eligible applicants exceed the number of Bursary Awards available, a lottery system will then apply.

As funding is limited not everyone who applies will receive a bursary.

Applicants for the bursary will be informed by early September as to the outcome of their bursary application. 

Payment of the Tony Leahy Bursary

Applicants wishing to participate in the certificate programme are required to pay 60% of the total course fees to the DCU Fees Office during online registration in Semester 1.

If you are successful in your application for the scholarship with Mental Health Ireland, DCU will issue an invoice to Mental Health Ireland for 50% of the fees on your behalf in semester 2.

A refund of 10% of the overall fee will then be returned to you by the DCU Fees Office. If you paid by credit card it will be returned to your credit card. Or you can update your bank details on the student portal so the fees can be refunded that way. For more details on DCU fees see https://www.dcu.ie/fees/index.shtml

Applicants will be notified of the outcome from the Tony Leahy Bursary application process by Mental Health Ireland by the first week of September 2023.

Bursaries awarded will be paid directly to the Fees Office in DCU following receipt of the invoice raised by DCU and providing all course requirements have been met.

For those who have been awarded 100% of the Course Fees (Bursaries of up to 100% of course fees are available to members of the Traveller community and those who identify as an international protection applicant, or a person granted international protection i.e. an asylum seeker, refugee, or person who has been granted Discretionary Leave to Remain (DLR).) Mental Health Ireland will make a payment of 60% of the fees directly to the DCU Fees Office on your behalf upon notification from DCU that you have registered on the course. The remaining 40% of the fees will be paid to the DCU Fees Office when the second instalment falls due in Semester 2 providing all course requirements have been met. 

Fill out the application form below.

Please note when filling out the application form, the form will not save your details if you refresh or close the page. It can be helpful to note the questions down and type your answers elsewhere and then copy to the online application form when you are ready to apply. If you require any further information please contact Daniela by emailing scholarship@mentalhealthireland.ie or phone Sonia on 085 2346384. 

When you click ‘Send’ we will get a copy of your application form. You will also receive a copy sent to the email address you provided. 

The closing date for receipt of Tony Leahy Bursary Applications is Friday 25th August 2023. 

Please note you must also apply for a place on the course directly through Dublin City University. This is only an application for the Tony Leahy Bursary. Mental Health Ireland do not manage the course or recruitment for the course. 








    Thank you for applying for the Tony Leahy Bursary. We will be in touch in early September to let you know the outcome of your application. If you have any questions you can drop Daniela a line at scholarship@mentalhealthireland.ie