Mature Student Grant

Dim

Hi

I was speaking with a friend the other day that I haven't seen in a while. Previously he was on the dole and now he is at college. He is still getting the dole money but is doing a Degree course in the local IT. He is 23 and I am 24. I am thinking of going back to college in September but know it will be hard to afford. I know this because I already have a degree but I can't get work with it. My wages from 2005 where under 18k, so I've resorted to doing my college part time job full time and am looking at a career change. Basically my question here is how do I go about filling in the grant application form. Does anyone know if it is held against you for having a previous qualification? I never applied for a grant before... I would have been entitled to it but never knew how to go about applying. My Local VEC office said that the degree wouldn't be held against me but I am having my doubts. I was thinking of applying to the college with my name in Irish and the applying for the grant the same way, leaving out the qualifications on the application form. Second question is if I'm applying to the college via cao online will they recognise my qualifications from the other IT if my name is in Irish and my qualifications are the English version? Basically do you know if the online form asks for your student number or any other reference other than name because the paper application to the college doesn't.

Any advise greatly appriciated.

catho_monster

First off.
To get a mature student grant you have to be three things:
over 23 and living away from home since sept. last year.you have to have bills in your name/rent book to prove this.
you have to be out of college for one year.
thats it.
forget about applying in irish, they need your birth cert. you would have to supply them with the offical changing of name cert thingy if you were applying in irish.
your degree WILL NOT go against you if you are going for a post-graduate course.

Dim

Thanks very much, thats usefull info considering I answer yes to all of the above. Only one thing ... its not a post grad course... starting a whole new degree from scratch... would that make a difference?

applez

Hi Dim,
I don't know much about the mature student grant but i would think your friend got his grant from the back to education scheme. This is available to people who are over (I think) 6 months unemployed and go back to full time education. This is means tested, sometimes they pay the fees, other times you get everything paid for plus keep your dole.....

MKA

Hi Dim,
I'm actually in a similiar position myself - I already have a degree and hoping to go back as a undergrad mature student. I hate to give you bad news, but based on my research if you already have a degree you will have to pay the full fees and you are not entitled to any grant regardless of your financial position. It seems student loans are the only way to go!!

On an aside note - does anyone know if it is possible to defer a mature student offer and if you apply for this in the normal way? I recently had some major unexpected expenses and don't know if I will be able to afford to go back this year. Thanks!

MK

bashibazouk

Hmmm, I'm also wondering about a grant. I graduated from my degree in 2001 and am just about to finish a conversion masters in the UK which was totally self funded (ARGH!). As It was a conversion, I need to do another masters as the field (psychology) is pretty much crappy without a lot of postgrad qualifications. So I'm almost 26 and have lived away from home since 17 or so - since I went to college last year (but this was self funded) do I have a hope of getting any money?

MKA

That's a bit more complicated!! I'm not an expert in the area but I know mature students can continue to get a grant if the course represents a progression i.e. degree - masters - phD etc. So you would seem to satisify that credential. And as you have been living independently you should be OK on the financial criteria. I thing I'm not sure about is does the fact that you did you undergrad degree as a non-mature student affect your eligibility?? You should probably just get on to your local grants office and they'd be able to tell you straight away!! Hope I've been of some help:)

MK

bashibazouk

Argh! I rang them and I can;t apply for it! This is because:

(i) I am non-resident apparently. I've been in the UK since September last but only to do this masters! ARGH! The UK gov doesn't consider me a resident either! I argued that I am here temporarily for educational purposes but they had no time for that argument.

(ii) Doing another masters isn't a progression unless I get the college to award me with a postgraduate diploma (as this is a lower level than a masters) - this is very possible but would mean not getting credit for a bunch of coursework and it seems silly since I have done the MSc work. Pointless anyway since I am not a resident!

ARGH! This makes me so mad! I will have to work a lot of hours to make this work. Sigh

gline

What if you are just giving up working to get some qualifications and not just going "back" to study? how does this affect the grant.

I am looking to get a degree as a mature student next year
I have been living away form home for the past 4 years and have all the necessary bills etc
I will be 23 next year

Do they base it on how far away you live from the college?? Does your earnings also affect how much you get?