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Financial help when returning part time

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  • 13-09-2010 5:32pm
    #1
    BlackEdelweiss
    Registered Users Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭


    I have just decided to return to college this year to finish my Level 8 degree. I got my level 7 last year but could not afford to carry on due to family financial commitments, I also got offered a job covering maternity leave in an office and could not turn down the chance to earn some money after 3 years in college. The maternity leave finished and I got another 6 month contract in another job which is finishing soon aswell. I cannot afford to return to college full time so I am doing the final year part time over 2 years.
    I have not had time to find out what I am entitled to as it has only been a very recent decision but does anyone know if I am entitled to any financial aid while doing the course part time? I was receiving a grant while I was a full time student and would have continued to receive it had I carried on straight through, have I any entitlement to the last year of it now or am I entitled to any help with the fees?
    Thanks.


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    #2
    The_Morrigan
    Moderators Posts: 9,368 ✭✭✭The_Morrigan


    BlackEdelweiss wrote: »
    I have just decided to return to college this year to finish my Level 8 degree. I got my level 7 last year but could not afford to carry on due to family financial commitments, I also got offered a job covering maternity leave in an office and could not turn down the chance to earn some money after 3 years in college. The maternity leave finished and I got another 6 month contract in another job which is finishing soon aswell. I cannot afford to return to college full time so I am doing the final year part time over 2 years.
    I have not had time to find out what I am entitled to as it has only been a very recent decision but does anyone know if I am entitled to any financial aid while doing the course part time? I was receiving a grant while I was a full time student and would have continued to receive it had I carried on straight through, have I any entitlement to the last year of it now or am I entitled to any help with the fees?
    Thanks.

    You can claim back 20% tax after you've paid all your fees - although I'm waiting for the tanaiste to cut that tiny benefit soon.

    I mean that 20% doesn't even cover the interest I have to pay the bank over the life of the education loan I had to take out.
    My fees are 4,900 a year, so I'll get back just shy of a grand per year - however over the life of the loan I have to pay back over 5 grand in interest as I had to push out the length of the loan to 5 years to allow me to pay the mortgage too on my current wage!!

    So in a nutshell absolutely SFA - which absolutely bugs the hell outta me, considering most part time students are the ones propping up the state and banks as they are working fulltime paying all the taxes and levies and paying back mortgages & loans to the banks at shocking rates of interest.

    Sorry if that seems like a bit of a rant (I guess it is) I have an issue with this at the minute, got into a email rage with the office of the tanaiste about this the other day too, I asked the question as to why there is no aid to part time students who are working full time, even interest free loans that are specific to college fees - I got a 3 page response outlining the benefits of full time students and those returning to full time education after being made redundant etc. I got so mad.


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