A chara,

Applications for the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund (NSLF) are now open.

You and your staff are invited to attend an additional training session on the NSLF Registration, Employment Record and Student Application. The session will be held on 19 March 2026 from 2:30pm to 3:30pm. This session will include time for questions and answers with the NSLF Team.

As part of this training, we will be demonstrating the following:

• What is the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund
• Applicant eligibility criteria
• Registering to the NSLF Portal
• Completing the Employment Record
• Student application
• Key point recap and questions and answers with the NSLF team

*Please note, questions entered into the chat box will be read out live during the session. Please do not enter personal information into the chat box.

19 March 2026, 2:30 pm: Session 3 Registration Link

To note, the same content was previously covered in sessions held in early March. A recorded training webinar is now available on the Early Years Hive and the NSLF Student Portal, along with the PowerPoint slides from the training sessions.

Please ensure all staff are made aware of this training and the relevant time and date. To assist with this, please note the following regarding eligibility:

Eligibility

Those wishing to make an application must meet the following eligibility criteria for the NSLF,

• be working with children in a Tusla-registered Early Learning and Care (ELC) or School Age Childcare (SAC) service,
• the service in which the applicant is working in, must have a current signed Core Funding contract with DCDE.
• Applicants must have worked within an ELC or SAC service for the six months prior to their application.
• Applicants must have a current application/offer for 2026/27 entry to a Level 7/8 Degree course approved by the Qualification Advisory Board (QAB) that is eligible for NSLF.
• be a new entrant to an Approved Course for the academic year commencing 2026/2027 (Autumn 2026)
• not be an ELC educator or SAC practitioner currently undertaking the completion of an Approved Course or an equivalent degree; and
• not be an ELC educator or SAC practitioner who has already completed an Approved Course or equivalent degree.

For clarity purposes, at the time of application an applicant must not hold (or be undertaking) an Approved Course at Level 7 or Level 8 in Early Learning and Care.

Note: Only applicants who fulfil all the above Eligibility Criteria will be considered for NSLF funding in 2026.

Continuing Students

Continuing Students: existing students who successfully received NSLF funding for the Academic Year 2024/2025 and/or 2025/2026 and wish to continue to receive NSLF funding for the Academic Year 2026/2027.

Pobal will contact continuing students directly in early summer asking individuals to verify their continuing eligibility for NSLF.  Once eligibility is confirmed a new letter of Conditional Funding will issue to the student for the Academic Year 2026/2027.

Training for continuing students will happen at a later stage and you will be notified.

Regards,
The Early Years Team