UCD/Department delaying release of Grant

FiendishFriend

So on Tuesday, I called up my county council to inquire as to when my 2nd installment of my grant might be due in as i still owe my rent for this month and am completely broke. To my surprise they informed me that it had been sent out on the 30th of December and was in the college as we spoke.

So following that I phoned the student desk and asked them what the story was as it hadn't been posted on the website and they told me that they hadn't received it yet. I argued with them then that i had spoken to my county council and they had assured me that my second installment had been sent out but she insisted i was mistaken. It was only through my persistence that she put me through to the grants section where the guy finally admitted that my grant was in but that i wouldn't be able to collect until Mon 17th when term starts.

He said it was department regulations as the second installment was for the second term and could not be released until the second term officially starts. I realise that they do not want students squandering it during the holidays but i was hoping to pick it up yesterday or today so i would have access to the money on Monday when i start back as i don't have a penny. Now i shall have to pick it up on Monday and lodge it then meaning I won't be able to use it until it clears which usually takes around 3 days. Not only is my landlord on my back but i'll have no money for the first week and in the meantime there is a cheque with my name on it sitting on someones desk in UCD. I find this infuriating!!!

parker kent

I know how frustrating it is for you, but they are probably obliged (maybe even legally) to give it to you in the second semester.

chemgirl

FiendishFriend wrote: »

So on Tuesday, I called up my county council to inquire as to when my 2nd installment of my grant might be due in as i still owe my rent for this month and am completely broke. To my surprise they informed me that it had been sent out on the 30th of December and was in the college as we spoke.

So following that I phoned the student desk and asked them what the story was as it hadn't been posted on the website and they told me that they hadn't received it yet. I argued with them then that i had spoken to my county council and they had assured me that my second installment had been sent out but she insisted i was mistaken. It was only through my persistence that she put me through to the grants section where the guy finally admitted that my grant was in but that i wouldn't be able to collect until Mon 17th when term starts.

He said it was department regulations as the second installment was for the second term and could not be released until the second term officially starts. I realise that they do not want students squandering it during the holidays but i was hoping to pick it up yesterday or today so i would have access to the money on Monday when i start back as i don't have a penny. Now i shall have to pick it up on Monday and lodge it then meaning I won't be able to use it until it clears which usually takes around 3 days. Not only is my landlord on my back but i'll have no money for the first week and in the meantime there is a cheque with my name on it sitting on someones desk in UCD. I find this infuriating!!!

If you are a member of AIB and lodge it on campus then they will allow you to have access to it immediately!! it has saved me many times

misslt

Yep, I think any bank are able to lodge it immediately as it's a government issued cheque, so they can honour it (for the moment anyway :P)

They definitely do in AIB anyway!

xxzaraxx

Yep I have the same problem. Rang my local council last week as they told me the second installment of the grant would be in my bank by the end of January. Fingal told me they are waiting on ucd to confirm registration or something along those lines. Tried ringing ucd but was left waiting for 10minutes and I sent them an email that they only replied to two days later. They said it would be sorted etc but the second installment is still not in my bank. Typical, the student desk is useless!!!

parker kent

UCD cannot give out grants until people have confirmed their continued attendance. The closing date for that is 28th January, so it stands to reason that many people will not get their grant until after this date.

If you read the website, you will see this written beside the councils where payments are put straight into their account.

Payments will be made into students' bank accounts by your Dublin Local Authority - you do not need to sign or collect. For the purposes of grant maintenance payment 2, UCD will have confirmed a student's continued attendance, or otherwise, to the Local Authority by 1 February 2011. It is expected monies will be paid into a student's bank account in mid-February 2011.

http://www.ucd.ie/registry/adminservices/fees/maintenance_cheques.htm

I was a student getting a grant myself so I understand the issues some people are having. But you can't blindly say "the student desk are useless", "typical UCD" etc.