Financial Hardship/Sports Centre

Moorsy

Does anybody know what’s happening with the underlined? I thought that it was a prerequisite that students on grants (financial hardship) would not have to pay this? Students who recieve Gov grants are being billed ,is the college going to repatriate this money?

"As a result of this, the Students' Union is obliged to fully support the introduction of a 70euro charge, which will be paid along with the registration fee every year, subject to any increase of this charge being based on inflation, students with financial hardship being exempt from paying and the management of the charge being overseen by the Students' Union and the Treasurer's Office."

Time Magazine

We're being billed? Goe Team Administration.

I'm simply not paying it until I'm certain who's going to refund me. The pay-and-get-rebate method is so stupid and costly. I'm sure the College can figure out who gets their administration fee paid by their local authority and who pays it by themselves.

...and what about students who don't receive the grant, but receive the Student Assistance Fund, and/or the Back to Education Allowance?

Boston

It's been treated like the USI levy. Even on a grant you where asked to pay that, most didn't though since the college couldn't give a fig

Time Magazine

Myth wrote:

...and what about students who don't receive the grant, but receive the Student Assistance Fund, and/or the Back to Education Allowance?

Perhaps* for them it could be argued that the pay-and-rebate method is best; those in state-level receipt of the €750 (+ whatever else it is this year?) surely should have an automatic waiver.

Dave Quinn gave us his email address "just in case" in his last email. If it's a case that the SU have been negligent of this (rather than somebody else just not playing ball - which wouldn't surprise me), I think a repeat of his en masse email campaign about the flag could be in order. But this time they could go to him, thanking him for his preparatory work.

*I'm not sure how obvious the receipt of such assistance is to the Treasurer's Office.

Ibid

Ibid wrote:

Perhaps* for them it could be argued that the pay-and-rebate method is best; those in state-level receipt of the €750 (+ whatever else it is this year?) surely should have an automatic waiver.

'tis up to €825 now.

Boston wrote:

It's been treated like the USI levy. Even on a grant you where asked to pay that, most didn't though since the college couldn't give a fig

I heard it was phrased on the form as if it was compulsary.

Boston

Myth wrote:

'tis up to €825 now.



I heard it was phrased on the form as if it was compulsary.

They specifically said it was compulsory on the form they sent to me. When I say their treating it like the USI thing, I just mean that its an additional levy. I'm getting a college grant and I'll have to pay it. Afaik if it a levy, county councils aren't going to pay it so unless trinity waivers it for grant holders, you're not going to get the money back.

Boston

Boston wrote:

Afaik if it a levy, county councils aren't going to pay it so unless trinity waivers it for grant holders, you're not going to get the money back.

Yeah, you're right there. Problem is with the USI thing - you don't have to pay it, which comes down to the freedom of association malarkey, so college won't be sending out the angry letters. But I'd be curious as to whether they will be for this.

Moorsy

Wellll.....

Fees Office tell me I have to 'offer/argue my case' to College. The best way to do this is to e-mail your tutor and ask he/she to get in contact with the college and sort it out.

Bartley Rock (Education Officer of Students Union) gave me : financial.hardship@tcd.ie, apparently we e-mail them and we will receive an e-mail with forms containing guidelines on how to apply for refund/ non-payment. It seems any student can be refused but this would be extraordinary I would hope.

Hope it helps.
Eoin

Boston

Thank you for your enquiry about the Student Sports Centre Charge financial hardship waiver.

TCD students voted by referendum in May 2007 in favour of the introduction of a mandatory Student Sports Centre Charge of €70 for the year 2007-2008, (to be reviewed annually) for sports centre usage for all students, with the provision that ‘Students with financial hardship would be exempt from the charge, as moderated by the Senior Tutor’s Office.’

****************************************************************************************
If you are entering, or have entered, College by one of the 3 routes below,

1. As a mature undergraduate from TAP Foundation Course, Plunket College Foundation Course, or Pearse College Foundation Course.

2. On the Foundation Course for mature students, or the Foundation Course for young adults

3. Via the HEAR programme

please do not complete the Waiver Application Form. Instead, you should contact: sflood@tcd.ie for further details

*******************************************************************************************

All applications for a waiver of the €70 charge on the grounds of financial hardship must be submitted on the official form which you can download from this link:

http://www.tcd.ie/Senior_Tutor/Documents/Sports_Recent.pdf

If your (or your family) sole income is from Lone Parents Allowance, Back to Education Allowance or any similar form of Social Welfare Assistance or income, you will qualify for a waiver of the mandatory charge of €70.

A waiver may be granted in cases of financial hardship due to low family income.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Application forms that have not been completed in full and signed, and applications not accompanied by the required documentation, will not be considered.

On the basis of your application you may be called for interview from October 1st onwards.

Students deemed exempt from the Sport Centre charge will still have full access to the sports centre facilities.

Application forms and accompanying documents should be returned to:

Student Sports Centre Charge Waiver,
Senior Tutor’s Office,
House 27,
Trinity College,
Dublin 2.

For information on the Sports Centre facilities, programmes and services please see http://www.tcd.ie/sport . Get active, get involved!

The attitude in the above makes me want to kick up murder.

Nehpets

Slightly OT, but what is the sports centre? A gym?

Time Magazine

The Sports Centre .

CASEsensitive

Just looking at the application for the waiver, and the questions that are asked, surely they are out of line and none of the colleges buisness, you shouldn't have to give that sort of information to the college (i.e. P21, P60 etc).

what should be organised is that the student union organise every student to turn up to the gym at the same time, and see how long the college can justify charging €70 for albeit better but still substandard facilities.

Boston

1) its the SU's fault in the first place we're in this ****e situation.
2) the facilities arn't sub standard.

CASEsensitive

well i don't think we need to get into an arguement again about the design, space, facilities, but if you were in the gym over the summer at certain times it was full and this was without students. So with all students ca 15,000 of them or whatever back, and all entitled to use the gym, i presume it will be more than full over the coming months.

low

Unfortunately all big gyms like total fitness and westwood and the trinity sports centre rely on the principle that the vast majority of people will pay to use the facilities but not actually use them. The gym/thread mill area is going to be "busy" with 50 people in it. If you don't like this type of gym find a warehouse gym and train there or get your own stuff.

ApeXaviour

CASEsensitive wrote:

So with all students ca 15,000 of them or whatever back, and all entitled to use the gym, i presume it will be more than full over the coming months.

This worries me, as I intend to become a regular goer when I return to Ireland. Though when the old Luce gym was free for all it wasn't so bad, at least after 6pm it wasn't

low wrote:

If you don't like this type of gym find a warehouse gym and train there

o.0 elaborate please...

Boston

CASEsensitive wrote:

well i don't think we need to get into an arguement again about the design, space, facilities, but if you were in the gym over the summer at certain times it was full and this was without students. So with all students ca 15,000 of them or whatever back, and all entitled to use the gym, i presume it will be more than full over the coming months.

I go five to six times a week. I know exactly what the facilities are like and exactly how packed it gets. You can argue that the facilities are being used over capacity but they are certainly no substandard. The facilities in the Luce where well below standard, with a lot of the equipment either out of service or just barely in service.

Your solution would be to load even more load on to the facilities, but to what end? The place has to be funded somehow, the college authorities aren't going to give the sports department an extra 70 euro per student. This is the problem that pinko leftest never seem to get their head around. If you want a service it has to be paid for, breaking it for everyone isn't an answer.

As I understand it corporate members will not be allowed use the gym during term time except for the weekend. The vast majority of people at the gym presently have the white corporate cards. I don't really think theres much to worry about from students.

low

Boston wrote:

I go five to six times a week. I know exactly what the facilities are like and exactly how packed it gets.

well not necesarilly if you go at the same time every day, you'll know how packed it gets at that time every day.

Apex, the principle involved is a bunch of guys that do weights who aren't particularly interested in britney spears being on the radio or football on plasma screens go and rent space (usually in a warehouse) and kit it out with the essentials (racks, benches, oly bars, dumbells, barbells, rowing machine).

Boston

low wrote:

well not necesarilly if you go at the same time every day

I don't