CAO Press Release - Application Data
83,447 applicants at close of CAO exceptional application deadline
The Central Applications Office (CAO) exceptional application deadline closed at 5pm yesterday (Thursday, 6 February). The application figure to this deadline was 83,447. The CAO’s normal closing date is 1 February at 5pm, however, an exceptional application facility was introduced this year for those impacted by Storm Éowyn.
This figure does not represent the total number of expected CAO applicants for 2025, as a late application facility opens on 5 March and closes on the 1 May at 5pm.
A Change of Course Choices facility will become available on the CAO website on 7 February at noon for all registered applicants. This facility can be used by mature applicants to add course choices and for applicants who have forgotten to include a restricted course on their CAO application - a fee of €10 applies.
Most applicants will use the free Change of Mind facility which opens on 6 May and closes on 1 July at 5pm.
Speaking about the application process, Head of Communications for CAO, Eileen Keleghan, commented, “Most applicants who have already applied to CAO will have opportunities to change their course choices in May or June for no extra charge. If an applicant has forgotten to apply for a restricted course, or if they are a mature applicant wishing to make changes to their courses, they should avail of our Change of Course Choices facility which opens on the 7 February and is available until 5pm on 1 March for a fee of 10 euro”.
“The Late Application facility can be used by most applicants, however restrictions apply in the case of mature applicants. This facility becomes available on the 5 March and closes on the 1 May at 5pm. The Late Application fee is €60 for online applications,” she said.
Mature applicants are required to complete the Mature Applicant section of the CAO form by 1 March at 5pm.
Applicants for the DARE and/or HEAR schemes should have applied to CAO by the 1 February deadline (or the 6 February at 5pm for those impacted by Storm Éowyn) and must complete the online forms by the 1 March at 5pm. The deadline for submission of supporting documents for the DARE/HEAR schemes is 15 March at 5pm, and CAO advises such applicants to allow sufficient time to gather and submit the relevant documentation.
The CAO website contains a number of resources for CAO applicants including CAO Video Guides, a copy of the CAO Handbook, and resources for parents and guardians. Visit www.cao.ie for more information.
