Independent mature student ??

schooler

Hi all, need help with the following please,

I am a mature student and entitled to the grant but I need to prove my independent mature student status and am wondering how much proof do they require, i have esb bills from address before xmas, but moved to a new address after xmas and didnt change esb bills into my name in new apartment untill may of this year, will this be ok? How much proof do they ask for, bills for every month?

ontour

As far as I know you should be fine, they look for a utility bill for Oct of last year and even when you say you have changed address you will have current utility bill so I would say you will be fine.

Byron85

Sorry to hijack the thread but i'm also an Independent Mature Student living in Cork. My family home however is in Carlow so do I apply to the Carlow VEC for the grant as that is where my family home is.

ontour

I think its the VEC where your living now. If you ring them up they should tell you.

O.P.H

ontour wrote: »

As far as I know you should be fine, they look for a utility bill for Oct of last year and even when you say you have changed address you will have current utility bill so I would say you will be fine.

I'm in a similar situation, mature student, away from home for a year now.

What do you mean by a "utility bill". The only form of proof I have that I moved away from home are bank statements sent to my new address from Oct 2008.

At the momnt I work with my uncle but I only do a few days a week and he pays me cash, nothing official. Living with sister now. I give money weekly as a kind of rent but nothing is official etc.

How will my situation be viewed, will I get a grant.

ontour

I had statements and mobile phone bills, when I went into collect the grant form I mentioned the only proof of address I had were these and the woman said under no circumstances would I be assessed independently of my parents UNLESS I had a utility (ESB bill) or my name registered with a tenants board. So Im now tryin to get my parents incomes and accounts together before 31st of August :rolleyes:

O.P.H

ontour wrote: »

I had statements and mobile phone bills, when I went into collect the grant form I mentioned the only proof of address I had were these and the woman said under no circumstances would I be assessed independently of my parents UNLESS I had a utility (ESB bill) or my name registered with a tenants board. So Im now tryin to get my parents incomes and accounts together before 31st of August :rolleyes:

Crap! So is there anythin I can do between then and now to make myself eligible for the grant, like get my name on their bills or register with tenants board etc? Is it too late now to do those things?

Sad Professor

O.P.H wrote: »

Crap! So is there anythin I can do between then and now to make myself eligible for the grant, like get my name on their bills or register with tenants board etc? Is it too late now to do those things?

Yeah, well too late - you need proof of independent residence from 1st October 2008.

O.P.H

Sad Professor wrote: »

Yeah, well too late - you need proof of independent residence from 1st October 2008.

Hold the phone here, I'm gettin alot of different info from people I talk to about this. I was told some form of evidence you have been away from home for over a year is enough, i.e. bank statements to new address etc. How can I have electricity bills coming to me in my name if I am not the house owner. Even some people who rent don't get personalised bills sent to them, they just pay the landlord etc.

I have been livin with my sister and paying her rent, I might not be on the tenants register or whatever but I still havent been getting support from parents etc. I'm gonna fill out the forms anyway and if I get refused maybe I can appeal or talk to someone in theie office's?

Sad Professor

Contact your local council/vec first and explain your situation. See what they say.

Verbal_Kint

you want to have everything sussed out before you apply and not have to go through the appeals process, it can take a long time.

basic questions can be answered by www.studentfinance.ie

im currently in a similar situation as regards proof of address for independent mature candidate status so if you find a solution for this can you PM me with it thanks.

charlie_says

I am in a similar situation as regards to bills. It seems very inflexible to only offer ESB or tenants board documentation as a proof of address.

I contacted my local grants people and they insisted that the above was needed. They told me a bank statements, credit card statements and mobile phone bills were not acceptable, individually, but might be if enough evidence can be given. It seems silly. They also told me an NTL bill would be OK???? WTF? NTL is good, but not a bank statement?

They also said a letter from the owner of the property would be needed.

I contacted the Student Support Unit (057-9324381)of the Department of Education about this (as they supply the money for the grants).

They told me that it is the local grants departments that have the ultimate decision here and they can only get involved with appeals after a local appeal has been turned down.

Sleepershark

wiil do

CZ 453

If ye are not registered with tenants board why dont ye register and back date from when you payed rent.All rent is taxed so if you have rented genuinely there shouldnt be a problem

Hacks

An Eircom bill will also do them and Eircom/ESB will re-send out old bills as far as i know