Extremely bad news for mature students

steel_spine

I just got the below email to my NUIG account.

"Budget 2011: What does it mean for your education?

Student Service Charge/Registration Fee

The Student Services Charge (currently EUR1,500) will be replaced with a "Higher Education Student Contribution" of EUR2,000. This will only apply to one child in a family. Second and subsequent children in 3rd Level will pay EUR1,500.Students at NUI Galway are required to pay an additional levy of EUR224. This funds clubs, societies, the Students' Union, Áras na Mac Léinn, the Health Unit, Flirt FM, the students projects fund and the University Sports Centre

Maintenance Grant

There will be a 4% cut to the Student Maintenance Grant across the board, effective immediately. This includes the 2nd and 3rd instalments of the grant for this academic year.

The distance required to qualify for the non-adjacent grant has been increased from 24km to 45km from NUI Galway. This will not come into force until the next academic year.

Mature students will no longer automatically qualify for the non-adjacent rate of the grant, and will have to also meet new criteria (having a place of residence over 45km from place of study). This change e?ects both new and existing applicants. There will be an additional level of support for reckonable income in the range EUR51,381 - EUR55,920. Candidates in this category will have 50% of the new EUR2,000 contribution paid on their behalf.

Institutional funding

There will be a 5% cut to NUI Galway non-pay block grant - this is the money paid to the college by Government to fund its activities excluding staff pay. The capital funding budget will be reduced by 51%. This will not have any impact on projects which are underway on campus."

So, as a mature student with no parental support, I have now been priced out of my degree. Even with my part-time job, I can't afford to pay rent on that, never mind study full-time. The non-adjacent grant was around 3,000 a year, I've now been slashed to 1,000.

Does anyone know the implications on receiving the grant if you take a year out of your degree- in this case I would need to take a year out to save money so I can afford to go back & complete my degree. However, this is pointless if it means I am ineligible for the grant upon my return.
Otherwise I need to try and get a big loan (LOL), or try and transfer my degree and go to another country.

HotDogger

Yup, it's bad news, but you'd expect students to be among the first to take it up the jackson when it comes to cuts. Although, there are countries where you actually have to pay for your education and take out loans and such...

This country's a sinking ship. Can't wait to leave.

steel_spine

I could try and take out a credit union loan, though that means being stuck here for longer saddled with debt. The problem is everyone who can is going to be doing the same thing now, so the chances of getting loans might be up the proverbial creek too.
It makes no sense, the reason mature student got the non-adjacent rate was because there is no parental contribution and we have to work to support ourselves.

4k

I'm a mature student, not getting the grant, no parental support, no BTEA, had to pay the fees. I've a part time job, I live in the city centre, i pay rent and bills on time and i do well in college. It can be done. Albeit extremely difficult, but it can.

4k

Also, on a more useful note perhaps, if you take a year out, you will still be eligible for the grant proceeding to the next year of college. Unless in the mean time they change the criteria for getting the grant.

steel_spine

4k wrote: »

I'm a mature student, not getting the grant, no parental support, no BTEA, had to pay the fees. I've a part time job, I live in the city centre, i pay rent and bills on time and i do well in college. It can be done. Albeit extremely difficult, but it can.

Good to hear, but I honestly don't know how you do. The part-time money I make wouldn't support me, and I rent a cheap flat, don't go out drinking, own a car or anything expensive like that.

the keen edge

steel_spine wrote: »

Good to hear, but I honestly don't know how you do. The part-time money I make wouldn't support me, and I rent a cheap flat, don't go out drinking, own a car or anything expensive like that.

Have you spoken to anybody in the SU yet?
I'am in the same boat as yourself, I hope to get in there next week.

That Peter Mannion was into our lectures 6 times about a €500 rise in the registration fee, I wonder will he be as passionate about this €2000 drop in the grant.

It's a f*cking joke, those on the BTEA lose €4 a week, whilst those of us on the grant have to take that 4% cut, AND a €2000 cut on top!

Ridiculous.

steel_spine

I popped off an email to the mature students officer, and the SU welfare person to see what the score is, but I dunno when I'll hear back

fun.bobby1981

steel_spine wrote: »

I popped off an email to the mature students officer, and the SU welfare person to see what the score is, but I dunno when I'll hear back

Hey Steel Spine,

Dont suppose you got any meaningful feedback on this from the MSO or otherwise?

I'm hoping to head back to college full-time in September as Mature Student.
I've no financial aid available to me, but I'll be applying for the grant anyway & I'll put a sob story down on the form, although based on the fact that I have no real expenses like loans/kids/mortgage etc at the moment, I doubt I'll have much luck.

I'm trying to put a structure in place where I'm working at the mo so that I can keep the job in the evenings while doing the course, but its a longshot, so will either be unemployed or working part-time at best ... coupeld with hopefully getting CU loan for fees.

Just wondering if there's any light at the end of the financial tunnel that anybody knows of???

Cheers,
FB

TheCosmicFrog

There is no Mature Students Officer yet, isn't that what one of the points of the referendum was?

fun.bobby1981

Ah ok, I know what you mean now ... thought you meant the college appointed MSO, as in Trish Hoare in the Mature Students office ... sorry about that!