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Free fees for mature students?

  • 01-06-2008 11:11am
    #1
    patmustard2006
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭


    Hi,

    I'm not sure if anyone can help with this query but here goes. I have been offered a place on the Maths degree course in Trinity College as a mature student, starting in Oct 08. I kind of assumed I was eligible for free fees but I'm not so sure now and am panicking at the prospect of coughing up a potential €7,000 per year. I previously did 2 years of a degree before dropping out in 2001 and I thought I read somewhere a while back that if there is a gap of a 3 (or 5 - can't remember exactly) between study then I would be eligible for the free fees again and I can't find that anywhere now. I checked various websites and can't really see a straight answer anywhere. I have contacted trinity and education.ie but will have to wait until Tues to find out for sure.

    If anybody has any info that might help, I'd really appreciate it.

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    blanco
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 67 ✭✭blanco


    If you've been recieving social welfare for I think 2 years, you can apply for a 'back to school' scheme. Where they pay all fees and expences. :)


  • #3
    patmustard2006
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭patmustard2006


    Thanks for the reply. I've been working the past few years so haven't received social welfare payments and therefore the above would not apply to me. I think I've just hit upon a kind of grey area. I'm going to contact Trinity and the department of education tomorrow. Fingers crossed!


  • #4
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    blanco wrote: »
    If you've been recieving social welfare for I think 2 years, you can apply for a 'back to school' scheme. Where they pay all fees and expences. :)

    15 months afaik
    It used to be 6 months but there was a lot of messing going on since they changed it 15 months


  • #5
    smashey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,676 ✭✭✭✭smashey


    patmustard2006 wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply. I've been working the past few years so haven't received social welfare payments and therefore the above would not apply to me. I think I've just hit upon a kind of grey area. I'm going to contact Trinity and the department of education tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
    Have a word with the mature students office in Trinity.


  • #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Following on from what smashey said, you should ring or appear in person as opposed to e-mailing them. As for the 5 year thing, on the grant rules documentation, eh, document it says the following:

    http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/support_higher.doc?language=EN
    CLAUSE 3: PERSONS TO WHOM THIS SCHEME APPLIES

    3.3 Candidates, who having attended but not successfully completed an approved course, are returning following a break of at least five years in order to pursue an approved course at the same level in the 2007/08 academic year (i.e. Second Chance Students).

    So logically if you apply for a grant you get your fees paid for you. I'm unsure though whether it works the other way around, which is where ringing them comes from! The above is for last year's scheme but I haven't seen if it's been updated for this year (2008/9 academic year).


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  • #7
    jakfrost
    Closed Accounts Posts: 28 ✭jakfrost


    Have a look at this link for trinity college and specifically section f.

    http://www.tcd.ie/Treasurers_Office/fees/fees_freefees.php

    My reading of this is that you're in the clear by virtue that you didn't complete the course and have had a break of 5 years.You should play the lotto this week. Unfrotunately for me I completed my first degree so will have to cough up ~€7000 for the 4 years that i'll be doing. But isn't it a small price to pay to fulfill your ambitions;)


  • #8
    patmustard2006
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭patmustard2006


    Thanks for that Jak. I couldn't see that anywhere on the tcd website when I was looking. Feel a bit better now and will call tomorrow just to confirm everything. I'm really looking forward to going back to college - I studied languages the first time round and I should really have done Maths from day one. Oh well, hopefully get there eventually. I've had my fill of mind-numbing admin jobs so this career change is long overdue as well.


  • #9
    kaiser soza
    Closed Accounts Posts: 407 ✭✭kaiser soza


    Check out www.qualifax.ie it has a page for calculating grants and links for sites with futher info on that area.


  • #10
    suppafly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭suppafly


    micmclo wrote: »
    15 months afaik
    It used to be 6 months but there was a lot of messing going on since they changed it 15 months

    its actually 12 months. I went into the office to check there recently. its can be the accumulated amt of unemployment time to. not just all in one row. Also does pay for any of the tuition fees its just lets u keep yur social welfare payments.

    I also did 2yrs of a course 5yrs back but I'm pretty sure i'm going to have to pay fees for the course i want to do in CIT unless i manage to get a grant or something


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