BUDGET 2011/ GRANT CUTS !!!

stripey sox

Are they're any mature students out there who are really worried about changes to grants for mature students in last weeks budget. Mature students will no longer have automatic entitlement to the non adjacent rates. This effectively means that those will a special rate grant will have it reduced from 6000 to 2455 (unless you live more than 45 km from college). It's very worrying for those with kids who need this to pay for childcare. Most mature students are unaware of this cutback.

ontour

Yeah its really bad, they're not even going by road kms they are doing the distances as the crow flys:(

stripey sox

Does anyone know if this education bill has been passed yet?. I think it's time for all students to re-group. This level of cutbacks is not acceptable on top of the 4% cut. I thought this government wanted to create a smart economy. They're evidently not very environmentally friendly either if they expect students to make a hundred km trip by car each day to attend lectures (just to qualify as non-adjacent). It must be remembered that this will also affect parents who have kids in colleges within the 45 km boundaries :mad:

IM0

OP do you have a source for this cut? I have not heard anything about this

loca1

I will have to drop out my grant doesnt even cover childcare as it is and the college doesnt help there is no creche. I am in year 2 now really love my course and getting good grades but there is no way i can run a house pay college expenses and childcare for 2 without the grant the 4% cut would be fine but this is going too far get this government out

Long Term Louth

me@ucd wrote: »

OP do you have a source for this cut? I have not heard anything about this

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html

stripey sox

Information on the proposed cuts is also available from your students union

a1000pigeons

Firstly, I would think it is not as the crow flies with regard to distance, as this would be illogical in relation to the distance by road travelled (please confirm or correct me, as with this government nothing's shocking!).
Secondly this is incredible. In effect the government are more or less doubling back on what they said last year about fulfilling to pay grants to mature students already in receipt for the remainder of their courses, but just doing it cleverly. No cut to anything should be over 50%. A cheap trick! It seems to have completely bypassed most of the student population and will have far more serious consequences for some than a 4% cut in the grant or btea. It is the first I've heard of it today and other students are going to get a shock when they find out. While I am grateful of a chance to obtain an education and understand students starting this year may not be in receipt of any grant, I feel it harse that following this, if I am cut, I will lose approx 4000 a year. As am co-habiting with my fiancee who is unemployed we receive 163 a week each and so with the grant I'll be living on approx 209 euro, just over what a single person on the dole gets. I will certainly find this a difficulty and imagine I'll struggle to pay the bills. I'm aware there are people in worse situations but compare my income being reduced by 30% or 4000 to the wasters in the dail, who are 'Sacrificing' what? 15000 euro or whatever minute amount from their colossal salaries? I find it insulting. I also know many mature students that are in college purely on the premise that they would receive this funding to help them throughout their studies and whose circumstances might not allow them to continue in the future without it.
Thirdly, does anybody know how accurately this distance is determined as by one route I'm just over and another I'm just under? I might just be lucky but either way I'll still be driving 45km (each way) a day and though it may be a struggle, I am going to finish my course in spite of them b******s!

JohnMc1

I'm very nervous as well. I'm in Kilkenny and applied for a course in Dublin [DCU to be precise] as you can tell I'll looking to stay up there and the supposed new fees of 1250 wouldn't even cover campus accommodation no less an apartment.

little bess

Yes, I can't believe they're doing this . I'm applying for college next year and the grant was a big incentive for me as I've 3 children and need to pay childcare . What a f*****n nightmare, I don't know if I'll be able to attend now. What can people do about this , who do we talk to ??

the simpsons

will the distance from your college of 25km to 45km apply to new student and existing student or just new students?

stripey sox

The cuts will apply to existing students and those entering in Sep 2011. As far as I know student unions are are going to try to gain support of TDs before the general election. There may be a slim chance that a new government could reverse the decisions. Its also likely that there will be further student protests but we all know what they have achieved in the past !

the simpsons

do the 24km to 45km, start in january 2011 or september 2011

leah24

Im so upset over this. I am doing midwifery im in my first year. I have two children and am a single mother. They are taking about 4000 off my grant and we were suppose to be getting paid 80% of a midwives salary in our fourth year and now they are getting rid of that aswell and expect us to work for free!!And typically they are applying these cuts from january 2011. No one thought these cuts through they just dont care about students at all!Ive budgeted for this year with regards to childcare and now i wont be able to afford it!!!I mite have to drop out!!!How can they do this. We all need to complain to our local TD's and put our names and addresses on each letter we send and how this is going to affect us!!!!!!there needs to be more protesting lots more!!!!who else is sick of this ****!!!!!!

leah24

And what about people who have chosen to take the grant rather that BTEA do they have to live off fresh air!!!I dont get BTEA but did anyone in the government think of that!!!!!I have a letter outlining the amount of grant I am entitled to for the academic year 2010/2011 and that should stand!!This is ridiculous!!!!!!!!

leah24

http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=30&disp=mem a list of all TD'S!!!everyone needs to write letters and emails!!

panda100

I think the most frustrating thing for people is the guidelines for grants keep chopping and changing midway through people's courses. It is very unfair and shows how shortsighted the goverment is.
As much as I don't agree with all of Labour's policys I do hope they do well in the next general election. I can see Fine Gael doing a Cameron bringing in full fee's and making it nigh immpossible for people to return to education.

JohnMc1

leah24 wrote: »

http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=30&disp=mem a list of all TD'S!!!everyone needs to write letters and emails!!

Thanks, but apparently I have nobody I can contact. I wish they would grow a spine and tell us what exactly the standing of the grants and fees now so we can start preparing for the worst and find alternatives instead of waiting until July to reveal everything and then we more than likely won't be able to accept our courses.

a1000pigeons

I agree with panda100. Cuts are one thing but moving the goal posts on people mid-course like these proposals is really unfair.

GrooveMan007

hey guys, can someone clarify this for me please as im getting pretty worried aswell, im on the BTEA and receive the grant, i live 63 km also, but what im asking is will i lose anything further on the grant than the 4% reduction??
i hope someone can help, thanks

Babyblessed

Will explain if I can.....

From January 2011 all grants will be cut by 4%.
All 2011 rates will be

Non Adjacent rate adjacent
Full Maintenance €3,120 €1,248
Part maintenance (75%) €2,337.60 €942
Part maintenance (50%) €1,540 €624
Part maintenance (25%) €777.50 €316.8


The 2010 rates were

Non Adjacent rate adjacent
Full Maintenance €3,250 €1,300
Part maintenance (75%) €2,435 €980
Part maintenance (50%) €1,625 €650
Part maintenance (25%) €810 €330

These amounts are usually paid in 3 equal installments if you are in Uni.

COme September the mature student entitlement to automatically get the non adjacent rate has gone. All students will qualify for the non adjacent rate based on the distance from their home to their uni/college. These limits have risen also from 24km to 45km on a one way trip, not the round trip.

The changes due in September have yet to pass thru the Dail and be agreed...... so we need to let politicians know in clear terms the effect this will have on us.

The link below is quite good...

http://www.su.nuigalway.ie/site/view/2271/

GrooveMan007

thanks for that babyblessed, was very helpful, & so was the link

Babyblessed

Thats ok,

The big problem will be come Sept if the mature student qualification goes because I live to near (?) the Uni.
My grant will drop from €3120 (2011 rates) to €1248........ a loss of €1872.


I read something yesterday in our local paper about how the minister is going completely radicalise the grants system... Cant get it online so I will write it out here.... its on page 23 of the Echo (Cork) on Sat 8th Jan 2011...

''"Mary gets it right on student grant test"
The proposed introduction of a new asset test to help decide who should get a higher education grant will be a controversial move - but its one that's badly needed.
The lack of consideration of existing assets in the current means test, which operates on the basis of declared income, is a glaring inadequacy.
Its speculated that these new regulations, as outlined in a report soon to be launched by Education Minister Mary Coughlan, could affect farmers and the self employed - a sector which receives a significant share of the grants.
We all know the assessment process must be reformed, and this is one way of doing it.'' Its by Ailin Quinlan


http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2010/12/16/00021.asp


Never mind the effect of the budget on my hubbys already low income.

IMC042

This is absolutely outrageous. I am at the moment getting €6355 as my mother is a widow and is living on €200 a week. I'm only in the first year of my course and now come September I will be cut from €6355 to like €2400. Thats almost €4000 less. How can they expect someone who lives say 40km away from the college to pay for the cost of commuting with €2400? There is no such thing as public transport where I live so i would still have to have a car with tax, insurance, nct, and fuel to get to the bus stop 8 miles away. And I just can't believe they bring in this type of cut to existing students. I will most definately have to drop out and will have wasted a year of my life in college having gotten no qualifications. All I have now is hope that the new government will not pass this new distance change. The 4% cut was enough to cope with... :mad:

the keen edge

IMC042 wrote: »

This is absolutely outrageous. I am at the moment getting €6355 as my mother is a widow and is living on €200 a week. I'm only in the first year of my course and now come September I will be cut from €6355 to like €2400. Thats almost €4000 less. How can they expect someone who lives say 40km away from the college to pay for the cost of commuting with €2400? There is no such thing as public transport where I live so i would still have to have a car with tax, insurance, nct, and fuel to get to the bus stop 8 miles away. And I just can't believe they bring in this type of cut to existing students. I will most definately have to drop out and will have wasted a year of my life in college having gotten no qualifications. All I have now is hope that the new government will not pass this new distance change. The 4% cut was enough to cope with... :mad:

To be fair €6355 was an ridiculously high amount of money, for somebody who was living at home, to be in receipt of.

You are receiving free third level education plus over €200 a week.

I do appreciate the shock these cuts have on you, but you will just have to move to Cork City?, and get a part time job, or give up the dream.

The cuts will be very tough, but millions of people the world over would give anything to be in the position of receiving Uni/college education like we are. So accept it and deal with it, or drop out.
There is no alternative.

quibibibly

the keen edge wrote: »

To be fair €6355 was an ridiculously high amount of money, for somebody who was living at home, to be in receipt of.

You are receiving free third level education plus over €200 a week.

I do appreciate the shock these cuts have on you, but you will just have to move to Cork City?, and get a part time job, or give up the dream.

The cuts will be very tough, but millions of people the world over would give anything to be in the position of receiving Uni/college education like we are. So accept it and deal with it, or drop out.
There is no alternative.

sorry, um... give up the dream? ( your having a laugh ya ? )
How is €6355 a "ridiculously" high amount for someone to be in receipt of ?
€6355 is not a RIDICULOUSLY high amount of money, AT ALL for anyone, wherever they are living.
with one exception, It's a ridiculously high amount for a 20 year old student , who may still be getting support from their parents, and who will spend that money, on Hash, red bull, and whatever else your having. But for most mature students that amount covers genuine living costs, ie.Travel costs, petrol, mortgages, food. ect.

Get a part time job? give up the dream? Thats the advice you give?

quibibibly

panda100 wrote: »

I think the most frustrating thing for people is the guidelines for grants keep chopping and changing midway through people's courses. It is very unfair and shows how shortsighted the government is.
As much as I don't agree with all of Labour's policys I do hope they do well in the next general election. I can see Fine Gael doing a Cameron bringing in full fee's and making it nigh immpossible for people to return to education.

Exactly.

The changes made should affect new applicants, not people who have already put in 1 - 2 - 3 years of hard effort...
Not people who sat down and did the math before they embarked on the long journey of degree obtainment, and only started that course of action on the premise that they could Afford it.

JohnMc1

the keen edge wrote: »

To be fair €6355 was an ridiculously high amount of money, for somebody who was living at home, to be in receipt of.

You are receiving free third level education plus over €200 a week.

I do appreciate the shock these cuts have on you, but you will just have to move to Cork City?, and get a part time job, or give up the dream.

The cuts will be very tough, but millions of people the world over would give anything to be in the position of receiving Uni/college education like we are. So accept it and deal with it, or drop out.
There is no alternative.

To be fair most University campuses cost nearly that amount [over 5,000 nearly 6 for most of them]. I would say most students grant money goes mostly on their accommodations.

[Jackass]

So just to recap, how much should one expect the grant to be if enrolling as a mature student (and over 25 with no income or support) for the first time for the 2011/12 academic year?

And you can chose to take a BTEA instead?

How much is that?

Sorry, very new to all of this and have been out of the country for a year, so haven't heard anything about education / budget cuts and /or what these grants are.

Also, "free fees" still exist, correct? But I know most universities expect c.2k in fees from the student. How and when is this paid? (i.e must be paid all in one go and up front?).

Thanks for help.

B1977

quibibibly wrote: »

Exactly.

The changes made should affect new applicants, not people who have already put in 1 - 2 - 3 years of hard effort...
Not people who sat down and did the math before they embarked on the long journey of degree obtainment, and only started that course of action on the premise that they could Afford it.

Are any of the politicians taking notice of this, or has it been mentioned

marti8

ontour wrote: »

Yeah its really bad, they're not even going by road kms they are doing the distances as the crow flys:(

We asked them (VEC and CoCo) how do they determine distances and they said they didn't know