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Not getting enough money?

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  • 23-11-2014 6:48pm
    #1
    Saxo
    Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭


    Hi, I am on a two year PLC Course and I was awarded a grant by SUSI, I'm recieving less than 150 euros a month however and when I have bought my train ticket to get to college I find I'm severely lacking in funds! I am often very hungry in college and although I have money saved up other than my grant money I find its dwindling very fast due to the cost of living, I was wondering is there anyway that I can appeal my grant and try to get more money? I know I should be getting more than I am as my mother doesn't work, my dad only works through the summer and we have a mortgage also! advice would be greatly appreciated.
    thanks!


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    #2
    greenbicycle
    Registered Users Posts: 622 ✭✭✭greenbicycle


    Any chance of you getting a part time job? I worked my whole way through college and a lot of school. I know employment isnt easy to find these days but have you tried?


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    #3
    Saxo
    Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭Saxo


    greenbicycle wrote: »
    Any chance of you getting a part time job? I worked my whole way through college and a lot of school. I know employment isnt easy to find these days but have you tried?

    No not really, I have looked but can't find any suitable employment and I'm not sure I'd be open to working my weekends away no matter how much I need money :P


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    #4
    ASOT
    Registered Users Posts: 7,733 ✭✭✭ASOT


    Saxo wrote: »
    No not really, I have looked but can't find any suitable employment and I'm not sure I'd be open to working my weekends away no matter how much I need money :P

    Well there you go, get a job and stop being a sponge. If you were really stuck for money you wouldn't care about losing the odd weekend.


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    #5
    greenbicycle
    Registered Users Posts: 622 ✭✭✭greenbicycle


    Saxo wrote: »
    No not really, I have looked but can't find any suitable employment and I'm not sure I'd be open to working my weekends away no matter how much I need money :P

    I am a little shocked at this... You expect to get money for free? alongside your free (mostly free) education?

    When I was in college i worked all day saturday and sunday and at least one evening a week. That is how I got money and never even once considered that I should be getting some kind of financial support in place of this.

    Your attitude is not going to benefit you in life.

    Edit: I also want to add that any type of employment is "suitable" when you are a student as long as it not during lecture hours.


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    #6
    Finance Grad 2015
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭Finance Grad 2015


    I'm glad other people have said this too; GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GET A JOB! You clearly have a sponge attitude. You know you should be getting more? You'd get more if you worked for it. A suitable job when you're in college is basically anything that covers the bills. You're bloody lucky to be getting €150. That's a very high sum of money.


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    #7
    witchgirl26
    Registered Users Posts: 2,061 ✭✭✭witchgirl26


    Honestly OP as harsh as some of the comments here are, they're right. I didn't work during college terms & was on a grant at the time but I did work full time during all holidays & had "in college" savings that I lived off when I wasn't working. Luckily it was enough for me to get by on but if I'd had to, I would have worked through the term too.

    I think giving up the odd weekend to work is better than being hungry when in college. And also don't think yourself above any job - in reality you need the money so any job that pays should be on your list.


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    #8
    Saxo
    Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭Saxo


    witchgirl26 wrote: »
    Honestly OP as harsh as some of the comments here are, they're right. I didn't work during college terms & was on a grant at the time but I did work full time during all holidays & had "in college" savings that I lived off when I wasn't working. Luckily it was enough for me to get by on but if I'd had to, I would have worked through the term too.

    I think giving up the odd weekend to work is better than being hungry when in college. And also don't think yourself above any job - in reality you need the money so any job that pays should be on your list.

    I do work full time during the holidays and I have savings but it disappears fast when you don't have an income every week, I realise I made myself sound like a sponge but I'm not I'm just annoyed that some people in my class have spent time on the dole but are only a year or two older than me and are getting BTEA and 150 per week, not per month so why shouldn't I be able to get a bit more? I know this is not the time or place to be saying things like that but yeah.
    I'd be open to working during the week as I finish college early most days but weekend work wouldn't be suitable.. the harsh comments might be right but there was no need I was just looking for suggestions/advice.


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    #9
    DukeOfTheSharp
    Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭DukeOfTheSharp


    Wow, people sure do love passing judgement when you explained that weekends aren't good for you (I always found that any student who works on a weekend buries themselves in alcohol - since they have literally no time off - whenever they get the chance) and that you haven't the qualifications to get a job at the moment. It seems people forget that with assignments (which are usually awkward and time consuming) and essays, mixed with exams and the expected extra work students are supposed to do in between all this, that there's little time to get a well paid job that doesn't have you sacrificing certain aspects of your life...something that's actually incredibly unhealthy both physically and mentally. Marry that with the fact that if you're a student with a job, you have to take a paycut to earn under 3000 if you want to keep even the lowest level of the grant for the following year and any student, especially in this economy, will find it hard to juggle all of that and studies.

    Anyway, it sounds like an error, maybe call them up and ask why you're getting a relatively poor deal, although given the fact that you work during the holidays, you might very well be hurting your chances at a larger grant payment. That's the real kicker, the more money in your account, the more money you take in from seasonal work, the less you'll get. Basically the system is broken.


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    #10
    Finance Grad 2015
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭Finance Grad 2015


    Saxo wrote: »
    I do work full time during the holidays and I have savings but it disappears fast when you don't have an income every week, I realise I made myself sound like a sponge but I'm not I'm just annoyed that some people in my class have spent time on the dole but are only a year or two older than me and are getting BTEA and 150 per week, not per month so why shouldn't I be able to get a bit more? I know this is not the time or place to be saying things like that but yeah.
    I'd be open to working during the week as I finish college early most days but weekend work wouldn't be suitable.. the harsh comments might be right but there was no need I was just looking for suggestions/advice.



    I apologise for the harshness of my comment. I completely agree with what you're saying about those that have been on the dole and people who get BTEA just because they started college older than the rest of us
    I guess I just got annoyed at the fact that anybody would say that they know they should be getting more. I'm in college fulltime, not dependant on my parents, living out of home, and I work 3 part time jobs just to get by as I was 11€ over the grant allowance and susi claim that I should be reliant on my parents

    I know €150 may not seem alot as a whole, but you also have to take into account that you don't have fees to pay. I see you have 2 options, appeal or get a job. Not having a job in college is a privilege.


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    #11
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,790 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Saxo wrote: »
    Hi, I am on a two year PLC Course and I was awarded a grant by SUSI, I'm recieving less than 150 euros a month however and when I have bought my train ticket to get to college I find I'm severely lacking in funds! I am often very hungry in college and although I have money saved up other than my grant money I find its dwindling very fast due to the cost of living, I was wondering is there anyway that I can appeal my grant and try to get more money? I know I should be getting more than I am as my mother doesn't work, my dad only works through the summer and we have a mortgage also! advice would be greatly appreciated.
    thanks!

    To be honest appealing wont get you more of a grant UNLESS your parents annual income is less than 22,000 and your parent receives social welfare OR you can prove you live more than 45km away.

    You are at the 100% adajacent rate
    you cannot get more unless you can prove you live non adjacent or are eligible for the special rate.

    If you think you can prove you live more than 45km away or have a family income less than 22k plus your family receives social welfare then go ahead and appeal.

    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



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    #12
    Jwacqui
    Registered Users Posts: 2,772 ✭✭✭Jwacqui


    Saxo wrote: »
    I do work full time during the holidays and I have savings but it disappears fast when you don't have an income every week, I realise I made myself sound like a sponge but I'm not I'm just annoyed that some people in my class have spent time on the dole but are only a year or two older than me and are getting BTEA and 150 per week, not per month so why shouldn't I be able to get a bit more? I know this is not the time or place to be saying things like that but yeah.
    I'd be open to working during the week as I finish college early most days but weekend work wouldn't be suitable.. the harsh comments might be right but there was no need I was just looking for suggestions/advice.

    I know it sounds harsh but my opinion is similar to the rest but you'll just have to get over it. I'm 26 years old I work over 30 hours per week to provide for myself as my maintance grand of 135 per month does not cover travel, rent, books, food, college equipment and teaching practice supplies and travel. My school for TP is over 100km round trip each day and I get zero choice in where I am placed and no travel assistance.

    I pretty much have zero spare time but you have to do what you have to do. I understand you're frustrated that other people get BTEA and trust me I feel the same when people are saying they are stressed out and I think you have 30 hours extra per week to get stuff done than I do.

    However I find it equally as frustrated when people moan about things, i.e. Lack of money but are willing to do nothing about it. There are plenty of jobs out there if you are willing to do them.


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    #13
    braddun
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭braddun


    become a barman part time


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    #14
    mountsky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 164 ✭✭mountsky


    Saxo wrote: »
    Hi, I am on a two year PLC Course and I was awarded a grant by SUSI, I'm recieving less than 150 euros a month however and when I have bought my train ticket to get to college I find I'm severely lacking in funds! I am often very hungry in college and although I have money saved up other than my grant money I find its dwindling very fast due to the cost of living, I was wondering is there anyway that I can appeal my grant and try to get more money? I know I should be getting more than I am as my mother doesn't work, my dad only works through the summer and we have a mortgage also! advice would be greatly appreciated.
    thanks!

    Can you speak to any of the student reps in the college?They should be able to help you out,no one should have to be hungry,no way,good luck with it


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    #15
    TimeToShine
    Registered Users Posts: 4,881 ✭✭✭TimeToShine


    You'd think jobs for the unqualified and inexperienced were being handed out like candy judging by some of these comments. Why would they take someone who can only work part time when there are plenty who are looking for full time employment? Not to mention how time consuming and deflating actually looking for a job is - watching your CV thrown on top of a pile of 50 for the 10th time gets old very fast.


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    #16
    wiz569
    Registered Users Posts: 1,693 ✭✭✭wiz569


    If you are living at home how are you hungry?

    My son leaves for college every morning with a packed lunch,he has breakfast before he leaves and dinner when he comes home, his grant goes on transport and whatever other college sundries he needs.


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    #17
    Saxo
    Registered Users Posts: 307 ✭✭Saxo


    Sorry lads have been busy with assignments! I apologize for sounding like a sponge or moaning at the rate of funding I'm getting as I do know people who applied for grants and got nothing and are far worse off than me, it's just the BTEA thing really annoys me and I'm sure my fellow college students understand. I also understand all the comments about getting jobs however as one user said jobs in this day and age aren't exactly handed out freely anymore especially to someone who has no previous experience and doesn't really have flexible hours most of the time but I will be trying to get Christmas work and I do have summer work got already.
    thanks for the advice and some of you did give me some motivation and a kick up the arse :P


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    #18
    Sup08
    Registered Users Posts: 1,670 ✭✭✭Sup08


    Saxo wrote: »
    Sorry lads have been busy with assignments! I apologize for sounding like a sponge or moaning at the rate of funding I'm getting as I do know people who applied for grants and got nothing and are far worse off than me, it's just the BTEA thing really annoys me and I'm sure my fellow college students understand.

    If you do not qualify for BTEA, then you may qualify for grant assistance.
    The BTEA payments are only assessed for your eligibility to be considered for the maintenance part of a grant.
    You should separate your situation from your fellow students that are on this payment because you did not qualify.
    Compare your situation, like for like and see how better/worse off you are.
    Also, I'm sure there are students in your course that may have a better maintenance grant that are struggling more than you think, but work to make up the deficit.


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