Denied Maintenance Grant for Masters, Apply to Student Assistance Fund ?

Shiny

I never got a grant throughout college but I thought I could
apply for the grant as a mature student for my Masters.

This nice little clause apparently means I'm still not eligible:

I am entering an approved postgraduate course* in 2008/9
to complete it (for the first time) after a break of one year or more,
having previously entered an approved course.

So due to the fact that I haven't taken a year out, I cannot apply as a
mature student apparently.

I was wondering if it would be appropriate to apply to the
"Student Assistance Fund" for some help?

pow wow

Shiny wrote: »

I never got a grant throughout college but I thought I could
apply for the grant as a mature student for my Masters.

This nice little clause apparently means I'm still not eligible:

So due to the fact that I haven't taken a year out, I cannot apply as a
mature student apparently.

I was wondering if it would be appropriate to apply to the
"Student Assistance Fund" for some help?

Did you actually apply and have them reject you or are just assuming they will because of that clause? Quoting from studentfinance.ie:

You are eligible to apply for a grant if you meet either of the following conditions:

I am entering an approved postgraduate course* for the first time in the 2008/9 academic year

OR

I am entering an approved postgraduate course* in 2008/9 to complete it (for the first time) after a break of one year or more, having previously entered an approved course.[/b]

I take that to mean you are eligible to apply if you're just heading right into postgrad, or, you're heading into postgrad after having had a year out. Quite worrying if they've rejected you because you met the first condition.

Shiny

What they said was due to the fact that I wasn't eligible for the
maintenance grant for the first 4 years and that I have had
continuous study throughout (ie degree to masters without a break),
I will still be means tested on the place I lived the year before
college started.

The thing that makes me angry is that I have been paying my own way
for years now and have all the necessary documentation for a mature
student but the continuous study thing disqualifies me.

This was what they said when I rang them anyway.

I've heard of that rule you've bumped into, with people who have been told that they needed to take a year out before registering for a masters in order to be eligible for a grant. Personally I don't really understand it, since it's a new level of education you're undertaking.

From http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/support_higher.doc?language=EN (NOTE: 2007/8 scheme):

"re-entering" means entering as a mature candidate following a break of at least one year and having previously attended a course approved for the purposes of either the Higher Education Grants Scheme or the VEC Scholarship Scheme

CLAUSE 9: POSTGRADUATE COURSES
9.1 A grant-holder who was in receipt of a higher education grant to pursue an undergraduate course may have the grant continued in order to pursue an approved course at postgraduate level subject to the terms and conditions of this scheme.

So really, they see you going directly from Undergraduate to Postgraduate as 'continuing' your education so would put you in a category based around 3 or 4 or possibly 5 or even 6 years ago. Which is absolutely ridiculous.

Student Assistance Fund is there for any students facing hardship, so yes you can apply, but you can only really get money from it if you make a case for it. Plus the fund isn't bottomless, so while it can help people out of a messy financial situation it wouldn't be a substitute for a grant.

Shiny

Thanks for your help Myth.

catho_monster

I faced this,
So I took the year out, started on my research and got a headstart on the work without paying fees for the year.
I was on good terms with what was then my future supervisor, and he guided me on what to spend the time on.

Shiny

Hey catho,

I had considered waiting a year but I felt that if I got a job
and got a "taste" for real wages, I would never go back to
college. :rolleyes:

catho_monster

Yeah, its a fair point. It does drag it out.
But it came down to this for me: can i afford to pay the 3grand in fees for the next 3-4 years of my phd? nope?! so i took the year out. I have a part time job anyway, so i kept that on, took on another part time job and gave that up when i got back into it.
At the end of the day, if you need the masters to continue in life, then you're going to still need it if you put it off for a year. If you are happy enough not to go back, then you probably dont need it in the first place, no?

Shiny

Yeah I see what you are saying. I actually wasn't going to do it
for money reasons but the parents pushed for it and said they
would cover my rent for the year.

They also pointed out that with things slowing down I might as
well upskill instead of settling for a lower paid job.

Flamed Diving

But you should get the basic grant at least. I went in the other day and I dont even have to fill in forms or anything, because I'm going straight into the masters. I just get it automatically again.

Flamed Diving

Flamed Diving wrote: »

But you should get the basic grant at least. I went in the other day and I dont even have to fill in forms or anything, because I'm going straight into the masters. I just get it automatically again.

...if you were eligible before. Because the original poster wasn't, and even with they're supporting themselves for the last X years, they're unable to get the grant based on their own income for a masters.

Shiny

Myth's is correct, I wasn't eligible before and due to a lack of "break" I am
still means tested on my parents income due to no break in study.

I'm wondering if a year repeating one subject is a "break" in study as I was
working full time all that year.

But I am well pissed off with it to be honest.
I repeated a year in the middle of my course so basically
they are basing my finances on my means 5/6 years ago!
I actually don't know where I am going to get the money
to survive next year if i dont manage to secure a part
time job.