Financing Masters

copeland

Hi all,

I am currently unemployed, have been since last August, and am looking at the possibility of doing a thought masters. The fees for the courses I am looking at are one year thought courses with fees ranging from around €7,000 - €15,000 and are all within the ROI.

I have done a lot of searching and cant seem to find any straight answers on what grants I may be eligible for, and whether or not I will continue to get a social welfare payment if I am still unemployed come September.

I am 26, have a pass degree (which I did not receive the grant for), am independant and have no dependancies: unmarried, no children, living independant of parents etc.

If anyone has similar experience it would be much appreciated if you could help me with the following:

Should I be eligible to receive a grant? If so, are the amount I receive for fees always capped around €6,000 ( the course I am most intersted in is around €15,000, typical) and is the grant enough to live off of?

Also would I continue to receive some social welfare payment if I am still unemployed come September? (this currently just just keeps me ticking over with loans etc.)

petethebrick

Yes, you will be eligible for a grant provided that you can provide evidence that you were living independently in Sept - Dec of the year before you start the masters.
So in other words for Sep - Dec 2008 (if you are applying to start a course in Sept. 2009) you need some proof that you weren't living with your parents.
All you need is some household bills, bank statements etc

I couldn't get it because I'd been living abroad in September of the year before

You apply for this grant through your local county council. I think the fees are capped at 6k -which is fair enough I reckon!

With regard to keeping on your social welfare I'm not sure. I know that there is some scheme for long term unemployed whereby you can keep getting the full dole while back to study but I'm not sure of the conditions of this and whether it counts for a masters - best just to check with your local county council/ social welfare office

copeland

petethebrick wrote: »

Yes, you will be eligible for a grant provided that you can provide evidence that you were living independently in Sept - Dec of the year before you start the masters.
So in other words for Sep - Dec 2008 (if you are applying to start a course in Sept. 2009) you need some proof that you weren't living with your parents.
All you need is some household bills, bank statements etc

I couldn't get it because I'd been living abroad in September of the year before

You apply for this grant through your local county council. I think the fees are capped at 6k -which is fair enough I reckon!

With regard to keeping on your social welfare I'm not sure. I know that there is some scheme for long term unemployed whereby you can keep getting the full dole while back to study but I'm not sure of the conditions of this and whether it counts for a masters - best just to check with your local county council/ social welfare office

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the reply. That is encouraging. I just called in to the council office this morning. They said that they do not get their figures until June but based on last year they told me pretty much what you did.

I have not got any info on the social welfare side of things yet. It is pretty much last resort. I am hoping to get some sort of employement between now and September so hopefully I will not be needing it.