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Mature Student Grant 2011/12

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 40,538 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Wizzy2011 wrote: »
    The course is the same level that my previous course was, level 8. Technically it is not a post graduate course as the course has no ties to the degree I have completed, so technically it is another level 8 undergraduate course even though it is post graduation.

    1.10 Progression in education course

    The approved full-time education course must lead to a higher qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications other than that already held. It is not considered that existing graduates should have an entitlement to BTEA to pursue a course at a similar qualification level as, inter alia, this can lead to displacement of persons seeking such qualifications for the first time. Reference should be made to the National Framework of Qualifications (see appendix 3) e.g. If a person holds a Fetac level 5 qualification, they must be progressing to a level 6 qualification.

    There may be a small loophole, no?
    not that i see - if you already have a level 8 and this is level 8 I don't see any loophole

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,193 ✭✭✭[Jackass]


    I've a question for people who have had the grant previously.

    I believe I was approved for the amount of 1,200 at the begining of the academic year...

    It took me a while to get the college to stamp the form I needed for the grant, so I eventually got all the paperwork off around half way through first semester, and a couple of weeks later I got 400 or so into my account, it was exactly a 3rd anyway...

    So now semester 2 has started, and no more money lodged, and I'm curious as to why they only lodged a 3rd instead of half last time, and when are the 2 other payments of this amount made?

    Naturally, it is impossible to contact or get any response from the glorified live register, AKA the civil service department.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,280 ✭✭✭paperclip2


    Theoretically payments are made every three months during the 9 months of the course but if the awarding body doesn't have the money which has happened to our local Co. Council in the last couple of years then there are significant delays. Afaik the DES will only forward the money once the awarding body has actually issued payment to students, so the awarding body has to have the cash available first. If it doesn't have it then you get delays. Bit of a crazy system. Not much fun for the people who administer it either.

    If you aren't getting a response to your calls email or write to your awarding authority and ask for an explanation. Usually a written request gets better results.


  • Registered Users Posts: 40,538 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    [Jackass] wrote: »
    I've a question for people who have had the grant previously.

    I believe I was approved for the amount of 1,200 at the begining of the academic year...

    It took me a while to get the college to stamp the form I needed for the grant, so I eventually got all the paperwork off around half way through first semester, and a couple of weeks later I got 400 or so into my account, it was exactly a 3rd anyway...

    So now semester 2 has started, and no more money lodged, and I'm curious as to why they only lodged a 3rd instead of half last time, and when are the 2 other payments of this amount made?

    Naturally, it is impossible to contact or get any response from the glorified live register, AKA the civil service department.

    If you can't get any joy from the council then contact the councillors

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭DJW11


    Im returning to university next sept to finish my engineering degree, iv 2 yrs done in an IT back in 2005 so im progressing into year 2 of a university course. In my Cert i was recieving a full grant from my VEC, but my question is what will i be paying this time, im 26, currently on job seekers allow, and living with parents who are in a worse finacial situation than when i was last in college, if i get BTEA will i have to pay the course fees and the reg fees each year? Im ringing the SU in the uni, my vec and my county council and just getting passed from one to the other


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  • Registered Users Posts: 410 ✭✭B1977


    B1977 wrote: »
    taken from their face book page

    Union of Students in Ireland (USI)
    Grants Court Case Update: This morning the High Court set February 23rd as the date for the hearing. It is anticipated that the case will go into a second day on Feb 24th. The state was granted leave to file additional affidavits prior to the hearing if necessary.

    dated from December

    Just a reminder that there is less than 2 weeks to the decision being made in the high court regarding the grant


  • Registered Users Posts: 410 ✭✭B1977


    B1977 wrote: »
    Just a reminder that there is less than 2 weeks to the decision being made in the high court regarding the grant

    Is this case still happening tomorrow ?

    plenty of students have suffered from the cuts made to the grant,hopefully the decision will be reversed


  • Registered Users Posts: 410 ✭✭B1977


    http://twitter.com/#!/theusi

    here is the link to live updates on the high court action


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,863 ✭✭✭MuddyDog


    Just a quick question...

    I think I'm eligible for the grant. I've done a degree and a masters in Dublin universities as a NON mature student and now 2 years as a mature student I am applying for a h-dip postgrad. The university offering it is well over 45km away. Am I eligible to apply/receive the grant?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,280 ✭✭✭paperclip2


    Its unlikely you would qualify for the grant as you already hold a qualification at a higher level than the one you are proposing to do. Check with the DES Student support unit: Tel: 057 9325317


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 31,152 ✭✭✭✭KERSPLAT!


    When do you start applying for grants, BTEA, etc? I'm 25, on JSB for 11 months ( :( ) and living with parent at the moment. A friend said to wait till I'm accepted first, is this right? Thanks :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,280 ✭✭✭paperclip2


    IPAM wrote: »
    When do you start applying for grants, BTEA, etc? I'm 25, on JSB for 11 months ( :( ) and living with parent at the moment. A friend said to wait till I'm accepted first, is this right? Thanks :)

    You can apply for a grant before you know if you have a place. Usually that opens in May /June and for new applicants you can apply online via http://www.studentfinance.ie

    With BTEA you usually have to have notification of having a place before the DSP will process the claim.


  • Registered Users Posts: 122 ✭✭Letsdoit


    Hey guys could anybody help or know if id be entitled to mature student basically applied for grad dip since finishing college 2 years ago Ive had a full time job non degree related, while i was in college I got a grant from the vec. If I'm accepted I'd want to leave the job to do it full time my questions are

    What would I actually be eligible for vec? Mature student? I'm 24.
    Fees ??

    The thing is I wouldn't be able to afford pay 5k in fees.

    Any help would be great


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,280 ✭✭✭paperclip2


    Letsdoit wrote: »
    Hey guys could anybody help or know if id be entitled to mature student basically applied for grad dip since finishing college 2 years ago Ive had a full time job non degree related, while i was in college I got a grant from the vec. If I'm accepted I'd want to leave the job to do it full time my questions are

    What would I actually be eligible for vec? Mature student? I'm 24.
    Fees ??

    The thing is I wouldn't be able to afford pay 5k in fees.

    Any help would be great

    Your post is a little unclear. The VEC's never had anything to do with funding for post grad courses. Also the last budget saw big cutbacks to funding for pg students.

    Theres some info on pg funding on the Citizens Info website http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html
    Postgraduate students:No maintenance grants will be paid for new entrants on postgraduate courses from the 2012-13 academic year. Fee grants (described below) will continue to be paid for those postgraduate students who would previously have qualified for the special rate of grant (see 'Special rates of grants for disadvantaged students' below).

    In addition, based on their means, a further 4,000 postgraduate students will get a €2,000 fee contribution grant. The income threshold for this payment (which will be lower than the standard grant threshold) has not yet been determined.

    Budget 2012: New postgraduate students whose means would formerly have qualified them for the special rate of student grant will now only get a fee grant. They will not get a maintenance grant. Existing grant-holders will not be affected.


  • Registered Users Posts: 40,538 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Letsdoit wrote: »
    Hey guys could anybody help or know if id be entitled to mature student basically applied for grad dip since finishing college 2 years ago Ive had a full time job non degree related, while i was in college I got a grant from the vec. If I'm accepted I'd want to leave the job to do it full time my questions are

    What would I actually be eligible for vec? Mature student? I'm 24.
    Fees ??

    The thing is I wouldn't be able to afford pay 5k in fees.

    Any help would be great

    You MIGHT be eligible for a fee grant of 2000 or the full fee

    It is likely that you also may be affected by the three year rule - Effectively this means that because you were dependent on your parents at the point of entry that you cannot change your status to "independent" until there is a break of three years before you reenter. What this means is that your grant would be assessed on your parents income

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Registered Users Posts: 122 ✭✭Letsdoit


    Letsdoit wrote: »
    Hey guys could anybody help or know if id be entitled to mature student basically applied for grad dip since finishing college 2 years ago Ive had a full time job non degree related, while i was in college I got a grant from the vec. If I'm accepted I'd want to leave the job to do it full time my questions are

    What would I actually be eligible for vec? Mature student? I'm 24.
    Fees ??

    The thing is I wouldn't be able to afford pay 5k in fees.

    Any help would be great

    You MIGHT be eligible for a fee grant of 2000 or the full fee

    It is likely that you also may be affected by the three year rule - Effectively this means that because you were dependent on your parents at the point of entry that you cannot change your status to "independent" until there is a break of three years before you reenter. What this means is that your grant would be assessed on your parents income


    Where/who Do you apply to?


  • Registered Users Posts: 40,538 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Letsdoit wrote: »
    Where/who Do you apply to?

    www.studentfinance.ie

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Registered Users Posts: 349 ✭✭Stormhawk88


    Hey guys im planning on hopefully going back to college as a mature student in september if im accepted. I done one year of a course back when i left school. I was wondering if somebody could clarify whther going back as a mature student il have to pay the whole course fees for the first year and if il still come under the free fees initiative for years 2,3 and 4. Im not on any social welfare payment as ive been working in scotland for the last year and a half. What conditions would i come under for a v.e.c. grant.

    Thanks in advance for for you're help!!:)


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