Board of Education (R.O.I.)21 Sep 20

Families encouraged to apply for SEC grants

The SEC is the Secondary Education Committee. We are an independent charity that administers the Protestant Block Grant scheme, and are funded by Irish Government’s Department of Education and Skills.

We provide financial assistance to help Protestant families attend the 21 fee–charging Protestant secondary schools across the Republic of Ireland. Our grants are means tested and are designed to reduce the amount of fees you pay in proportion to your ability to pay.

The SEC supports Protestant families to exercise their right to attend Protestant–managed schools. We believe that a family wishing to send their child to a school that accords with their own faith tradition should not be prevented from doing so due to their financial position.

Geographically, it can be difficult to access a Protestant secondary school in the Republic of Ireland as there are only 26 Protestant–managed secondary schools in only 12 counties. For many Protestants wishing to send their child to a Protestant school, boarding school is the only option and this comes at a high financial cost.

The grant is paid directly to the school to reduce the amount of fees a family pays. The application process begins with the completion of a registration form (available directly from the school), then the completion of an application form. The deadline for registration is 30 November 2020. Details of how to apply can be found on the website www.secgrant.ie