Grant slashed for BTEA Recipients

subnation

I heard the grant is being completely cut for recipients of the BTEA, any truth in this?

amtaxi

Reduction in rates of Student Support Grants and Youthreach, VTOS, allowances etc.;
Removal of eligibility for student support grants from Recipients of Back to Education Allowance and certain VTOS allowances

Looks like it - seems reductions of 5% on grant apply to everyone else. I'm really upset - this is over a 50% of a reduction for me - why is this being kept so quite on the news? Know it'll mean the end of college for me! In the middle of exams and spent most of last night crying!

billy the squid

I am also shocked that no one in the media is reporting this. those looking to upskill being given a 50 percent cut in their income should be in the news when you consider that almost everyone else is only being cut in single digits.

masteroftherealm

A student on VTOS will have a 16% or possibly larger cut assuming the cut in VTOS allowances are those recommended by McCarthy. So much for promoting training.

amtaxi

Just saw this on the teachers union website:

Student grants and scholarships
· A reduction of 5pc is being applied to the rates of student grants and scholarships. This will achieve €10m in savings in 2010. However, the overall allocation for student support will be increased in 2010 to take account of increased numbers of students.
· The reduction will be implemented to all existing and new grant-holders from January 2010. This is in line with reductions in other income maintenance payments including those for the unemployed.
· A further saving of €4m will be made by the removal of eligibility for student support grants from people in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing a Post-Leaving Certificate course. However, the cost of the student service charge and any fees payable to colleges will continue to be met by the Exchequer on their behalf. This will apply to all new grant-holders in 2010 onwards.
· Support under the Millennium Partnership Fund is being withdrawn saving €2m.

This seems to say that those of us in the system already are ok. But it is very unfair to anyone looking to go to college. From my own point of view couldn't survive without it. Government looking after themselves in the Dail bar but don't worry about the rest of us. Me- Can't afford a night out!

xinchao

Can anyone answer this question please?

I'm on BTEA also applied for the grant (still waiting on an answer). I will not qualify for a grant as such only the free fees (which if I get it I will be delighted!)
But does this mean that next year i.e. September 2010 I will have to pay fees?
I was out of the country for a number of years and came back in 2007 so I am not eligible for free fees. So I have to pay €5600 per year to UL. They are beating down my door at the moment looking for the payment so unless I qualify for the free fees under the grant I have to drop out and stay on the dole. Seems to be very unfair really. I'm 33, can't see myself staying in Ireland if I can't go back to University and get a degree or masters. Life here is not worth it staying on the dole, I live in the limerick area and there is NOTHING around jobs wise. Well unless you have a degree or masters that is.
But if someone knows what these cuts mean in my situation I would be really grateful to hear from them. Seems a shame to give people the dole when back in college then tell them they have to pay fees which constitute half of what they are getting over the year all payable within four months.
Funny really, a person in my class isn't even from the EU but is getting EVERYTHING that is on offer, I'm Irish and can't. I'm not saying she isn't entitled to them, if the support is there then everyone is, but just seems that even though I'm Irish and went away for a few years, I'm being treated like if I wasn't Irish, actually like I was an non-EU citizen. Very disillusioning.
If I had to pay the registration fee of €1500 then I would pay it gladly somehow. But €5,600 per year is just crippling. Makes no sense especially when I was unemployed for a year and have been ALWAYS working since I was 17. Actually I rang the Clare VEC and they didn't know about it yet and couldn't answer me. However the girl said to me that the majority of people who apply for grants this year have been unemployed going back to education not just for third level but also for PLC courses etc. So maybe we might have to wait until someone with a concern for students and the unemployed notices this stealth cut. All the focus seems to be on public sector pay at the moment. Time will tell I suppose. Funny really, I was doing very well at Uni this year so far, felt like my life was changing for the better... exams on this week and next week, hard to concentrate knowing that I might be not going back next September.
Anyway that's my rant over, but if anyone with a law background or who works in the government sector can decode the proposed cuts in more detail it would be great.
Cheers.

lebowski11

This is a tough pill to swallow. I was formerly a carer for my partner before going back to college this year. Looks like I would have been better of financially if I stayed on carers doing nothing with myself rather than trying to upskill. Worst thing of all is that the government is only saving 4 million by doing this. Anyone know how much they spend on make up each year?

pandamoanium

I'm shocked and appalled by this - even more so by the fact that potentially as Mature Students we are facing cuts of ~50% and no-one is reporting this!

Everyone is up in arms over a 4.1% decrease across a range of Social Welfare payments, but where are all the headlines reporting the ~50% cut for Mature Students?

I've already e-mailed Liveline @ joe@rte.ie

And I shall be contacting some TD's tomorrow with regards to this.

If this new measure effects you then I urge you to do the same and hopefully get Liveline to cover this issue as it hasn't been highlighted.

Get onto your TD's and Student Unions etc...

robert18

Lads phoned the mature student helpline yesterday ,they told me that as far as they are concerned that people who have already started courses are going to be ok and it just means that next years applicants are not ,the person said that this could all change next week when it goes before that dail but that is the story up till now .

atheist

Panic over

from

http://wwww.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055765533&page=3

"so if you are not a new grant holder... ie not an incoming 1st year student then it would appear that all you will suffer is a 5 % cut and that i can handle.."

pandamoanium

Guys,

I've just been talking to someone from RTE about doing a piece on Liveline later on today re: the unfair decision to cut the Maintenance Grant for BTEA holders.

If you'd like to take part in this discussion later on then please either e-mail to:

Joe@rte.ie

Or phone: 1850 715 815

The more we can do to raise awareness and highlight this issue the better!

manoman99

i am a mature student in u.l on btea but i dont have a grant this yr as the course is a pre degree course and its one yr long only can i not get the grant either even though i am reg as a ful time first yr student??

atheist

manoman99 wrote: »

i am a mature student in u.l on btea but i dont have a grant this yr as the course is a pre degree course and its one yr long only can i not get the grant either even though i am reg as a ful time first yr student??

Short answer - No,

Long answer - no grant unless it's already awarded or applied for and you're waiting for your first check. I hope that the budget is amended before the dail votes on it next week, so rather than been a blanket withdrawl, disadvantaged students, for example those with disabilities, get some alternate award. But you can't take hope to the bank.:mad:

billy the squid

pandamoanium wrote: »

Guys,

I've just been talking to someone from RTE about doing a piece on Liveline later on today re: the unfair decision to cut the Maintenance Grant for BTEA holders.

If you'd like to take part in this discussion later on then please either e-mail to:

Joe@rte.ie

Or phone: 1850 715 815

The more we can do to raise awareness and highlight this issue the better!

Have been doing my bit on this and have been pretty much stonewalled by various media outlets.

Newstalk didn't even acknowledge my query, Today PK nicely took my question on this but don't think they aired it.

On the politician front, Peter Power's office (he my local TD) said they'd get back to me, and a senator from one of the government parties responded by saying they would look into it and it seemed counter productive.

DenMan

Does anybody know if the government is planning on bringing in a loan scheme for students starting college in 2010? Similar to the model the have in the UK. Just curious.