Susi grant

paperclip2 · 16-07-2015 2:57pm

Sup08's post tallies with what some of our students were told by SUSI. That there has to be no fulltime/ full award study within the last five year period if you want to be assessed as a second chance student. They will discount partial or minor awards.

To make things a little more complicated the Free Fee Initiative can discount further education full awards at level 5/6 QQI FETAC within the same five year period. I.e it is possible to have your tuition fees paid as a second chance student under this scheme even if you did FETAC QQI courses within the last 5 years. Wont help with the student contribution or maintenance grant though.

AngryLips · 16-07-2015 10:36pm

paperclip2 wrote: »

To make things a little more complicated the Free Fee Initiative can discount further education full awards at level 5/6 QQI FETAC within the same five year period. I.e it is possible to have your tuition fees paid as a second chance student under this scheme even if you did FETAC QQI courses within the last 5 years. Wont help with the student contribution or maintenance grant though.

Do you apply the free fee initiative through susi also or how does it work?

AKeenan348 · 17-07-2015 3:52am

i waited 13 years to go back into education. 13 years is lot longer than five, so how the **** am I not considered as second chance.

AKeenan348 · 17-07-2015 3:58am

Sup08: i waited 13 years to go back into education. 13 years is lot longer than five, so how the **** am I not considered as second chance. this really contradicts what SUSI told me and is so frustrating and upsetting.

Sup08 · 17-07-2015 6:57am

AKeenan348 wrote: »

Sup08: i waited 13 years to go back into education. 13 years is lot longer than five, so how the **** am I not considered as second chance. this really contradicts what SUSI told me and is so frustrating and upsetting.

You returned to and completed 2 Fetac courses, this means you now have no gap between your last course and the current course you wish to attend.

paperclip2 · 17-07-2015 9:17am

AngryLips wrote: »

Do you apply the free fee initiative through susi also or how does it work?

No, Its usually decided on by the college you apply to and done automatically. They look at your info and decide what fees you're liable for, if you meet the terms of the Free Fee Initiative they get your tuition fees from the DES. You would then just be liable for the Student contribution. Afaik FF doesn't count FETAC as breaking the 5 years as they are only interested in third level study. There are some difference in the 2nd chance rule for free fees between the universities and the Insts of Tech. So check with the fees office where you are applying.

More info is available from the DES policy unit on funding for Higher Ed: (057) 932 5406

paperclip2 · 17-07-2015 9:21am

SUP08 is right. They can get away with it as the relevant piece of legislation says 'a break in studies of at least five years,' . It doesn't say a break in third level studies, so any fulltime courses can be seen as breaking the relevant 5 year period.
However they can discount minor awards if done in the 5 years though which is somewhat of a contradiction.

AngryLips · 17-07-2015 2:50pm

paperclip2 wrote: »

SUP08 is right. They can get away with it as the relevant piece of legislation says 'a break in studies of at least five years,' . It doesn't say a break in third level studies, so any fulltime courses can be seen as breaking the relevant 5 year period.
However they can discount minor awards if done in the 5 years though which is somewhat of a contradiction.

When I checked the susi website it seems they only count full time education. So if your level 5/6 course is part time I don't think it's considered towards the break in education

Sup08 · 17-07-2015 7:20pm

AngryLips wrote: »

When I checked the susi website it seems they only count full time education. So if your level 5/6 course is part time I don't think it's considered towards the break in education

It is counted as any course that leads to a major award on the NFQ.
This includes part-time courses and even apprenticeships.

When it comes to the 3 years gap to be re-classed, the courses between must be approved and is defined "an approved course", but when you are requesting to be considered a second chance student it is defined as "a course" meaning the above.

Foltar · 20-07-2015 11:42am

I received a letter from Susi today saying that because my circumstances have changed, that my application has been cancelled.

Last year when I applied I was living with my parents and was classed as a mature dependent. This year, however, I have moved to Dublin to be closer to college, meaning I should now be assessed as a mature independent. According to susi, I can only be assessed as per my first application(living at home) and they have cancelled my application.

Has anyone else had this issue. Thanks

Sup08 · 20-07-2015 2:03pm

Foltar wrote: »

I received a letter from Susi today saying that because my circumstances have changed, that my application has been cancelled.

Last year when I applied I was living with my parents and was classed as a mature dependent. This year, however, I have moved to Dublin to be closer to college, meaning I should now be assessed as a mature independent. According to susi, I can only be assessed as per my first application(living at home) and they have cancelled my application.

Has anyone else had this issue. Thanks

You cannot change your class from Mature Dependent to Mature Independent until you have a break of 3 years or more from studies.
You remain classed as a mature dependent from your point of entry and will remain classed as such until the above as been attained.
Where you live and your marital status does not change you class once you have been classed at your point of entry or re-entry.

Dair76 · 20-07-2015 6:55pm

Can I get a little advice regarding a previous course and the SUSI application please?

Basically I did an evening course in quality management through work a few years ago. It only counts as ten credits towards a level 7 qualification on the NFQ. Does that mean I don't have to acknowledge it at all on my SUSI application?

Sup08 · 20-07-2015 6:57pm

Dair76 wrote: »

Can I get a little advice regarding a previous course and the SUSI application please?

Basically I did an evening course in quality management through work a few years ago. It only counts as ten credits towards a level 7 qualification on the NFQ. Does that mean I don't have to acknowledge it at all on my SUSI application?

It is not an approved course, you did not get the qualification and therefore does not count.

If it does lead to a major award on the NFQ, you may have a period of study to complete.

Dair76 · 20-07-2015 11:48pm

Sup08 wrote: »

It is not an approved course, you did not get the qualification and therefore does not count.

If it does lead to a major award on the NFQ, you may have a period of study to complete.

Thanks Sup08. Could you explain what you mean in the bolded part?

Sup08 · 21-07-2015 8:09am

Dair76 wrote: »

Thanks Sup08. Could you explain what you mean in the bolded part?

If the course you previously attended leads to a major award on the NFQ and was partially completed. Even if the course was part time, you may have to do a repeat period of study based on the amount of credits attained.
So if you attend a new course that has 30 credits for the same year already attended (year 1) then you may have a period of study of 3 months.
This means you get no funding for the first 3 months.

Dair76 · 21-07-2015 10:26am

Ah okay, thanks.

maude6868 · 22-07-2015 11:47am

I just got turned down by SUSI for my daughter. She got fees paid last year but not this year. Her summer earnings were added on to the reckonable income and assessed as overall income. Is this how it works. It didn't work like that last year.

Sup08 · 22-07-2015 12:20pm

maude6868 wrote: »

I just got turned down by SUSI for my daughter. She got fees paid last year but not this year. Her summer earnings were added on to the reckonable income and assessed as overall income. Is this how it works. It didn't work like that last year.

There is a maximum allowance of €3809 for out of term earnings for the student but proof of earnings is required.

maude6868 · 22-07-2015 12:24pm

She earned only a little but it pushed me over the threshold. Also I have another daughter starting college this year and that wasn't taken into account in the assessment even though she has applied to SUSI too.

Sup08 · 22-07-2015 12:34pm

maude6868 wrote: »

She earned only a little but it pushed me over the threshold. Also I have another daughter starting college this year and that wasn't taken into account in the assessment even though she has applied to SUSI too.

You can request a review of the application and give details of your other daughter as well.
They will then request the documents to support your review. If your other daughter has a w reference number, supply that in your review request.

maude6868 · 22-07-2015 12:46pm

Just got an answer from SUSI on that. Where a second child is attending college it's not taken into account on the assessment, it's only on registration now because sometimes a second child gets that allowance and then doesn't attend college, so it's a new step they've taken I believe. The issue with the holiday earnings is that she was on a year out and not in education. Therefore they are added on to my income.Thanks for the replies.

Sup08 · 22-07-2015 12:50pm

maude6868 wrote: »

Just got an answer from SUSI on that. Where a second child is attending college it's not taken into account on the assessment, it's only on registration now because sometimes a second child gets that allowance and then doesn't attend college, so it's a new step they've taken I believe. The issue with the holiday earnings is that she was on a year out and not in education. Therefore they are added on to my income.Thanks for the replies.

Oh I see. In your original post you said that she got fees last year which implied she was attending college.
Therefore she would not be allowed holiday earnings.
If she has since left the employment she can provide her p45

maude6868 · 22-07-2015 1:04pm

Sorry, I meant the last time she got her fees paid rather than the last year. She only worked one day a week last summer.

maude6868 · 22-07-2015 1:10pm

Are holiday earnings actually deducted from the reckonable income or are they just not included in the income up to the limit.

maude6868 · 22-07-2015 1:21pm

Ok, I'm really confused about the holiday earnings bit. Last summer my daughter finished second year in college and worked during the summer. She didn't register for third year in September last so she has taken a year out. She is now going in to Third year. Her income from last summer has been added to my income to assess reckonable income. But last summer she was still in education. Wouldn't it be this summer that she's not in education and therefore can't get her earnings included for next years grant.

Sup08 · 22-07-2015 10:25pm

maude6868 wrote: »

Ok, I'm really confused about the holiday earnings bit. Last summer my daughter finished second year in college and worked during the summer. She didn't register for third year in September last so she has taken a year out. She is now going in to Third year. Her income from last summer has been added to my income to assess reckonable income. But last summer she was still in education. Wouldn't it be this summer that she's not in education and therefore can't get her earnings included for next years grant.

I'm sure she may be eligible for the Easter allowance but not for the summer or Christmas as she did not return to college.

Here is a form to fill in with some details.

http://susi.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Form-Statement-of-Holiday-Earnings.pdf

AngryLips · 27-07-2015 12:59pm

for anyone who has had their claims processed aready, can someone tell me roughly how long it too susi to progress the claim after submitting the required documents?

Hildred · 28-07-2015 4:46am

AngryLips wrote: »

for anyone who has had their claims processed aready, can someone tell me roughly how long it too susi to progress the claim after submitting the required documents?

I have this exact same question! They got my documents on June 24th and my tracker is stuck at "Documents Received - Application Queued For Assessment" since then and not budge out of it. They're not even at Final Assessment stae, they're just Queued ofr Final Assessment!!! As my original app was submitted on May 13, plenty early, and the documents were sent back well ahead of the deadline, I can't understand what the delay is, unless that blasted online tracker is acting up again, (or unless for some reason my app fell into a pile of older apps). Tracker cocked up a bit a few weeks back on mine and didnt reflect receipt of Documents on June 24th for several days - until about the 27th or 28th, and once before in 2013 for several weeks! But they're saying the tracker is working and to have patience! Patience!! I won't be able to go to college if they don't process the blooming grant in time. You can't live on fresh air you know SUSI! :mad:

BTW Angry Lips there's reportedly a "ballpark" timeframe of about four weeks per stage:

1 - Application submission - from which follows Documentation request

2 - Documentation received - from which Docs queued for Final Assessment

3 - Final Assessment - leading to Grant Award/Refusal

Supposedly it takes about 12 weeks in total, but I'm not holding my breath anymore! This is the first year though that there's been a delay in mine, and I've applied this year, last year but withdrew, and the year before, without delay or hassle. Only delay was in receipt of grant at the end of October - two whole months of college without a sou. Grrrr!

Let's hope there's an improvement in the turnaround in the immediate future!

AKeenan348 · 28-07-2015 10:23am

AngryLips wrote: »

for anyone who has had their claims processed aready, can someone tell me roughly how long it too susi to progress the claim after submitting the required documents?

HI,

I suspect that they sort out mature students and FETAC students first. I'm a mature student and already have my answer, but my niece is a school leaver and she's still waiting on hers, but yet we applied on the same day on the 24/04. You'll get notified on your user page, then the criteria you were accepted or refused in a letter.

Hildred · 28-07-2015 1:22pm

AKeenan348 wrote: »

HI,

I suspect that they sort out mature students and FETAC students first. I'm a mature student and already have my answer, but my niece is a school leaver and she's still waiting on hers, but yet we applied on the same day on the 24/04. You'll get notified on your user page, then the criteria you were accepted or refused in a letter.

Don't think so, although I wish it were true! I'm a mature student who has previously done a PLC and an ineligible course thus my three applications. Going on now to third level and have applied since 13/5 . . . My tracker is saying "Queued for Final Assessment" -- not even that it's being assessed, just that it's queued!!

:mad:

Susi grant

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