2011/2012 grant - completely confused

Claytoon

Hi everyone

Newbie to this forum so please be nice :-)

I've spent the past 2 hours on studentfinance.ie and I am confused about a couple of things on it - if you can please help with some of the questions it would be awesome, thanks.

(i) Does anyone know, even when approximately, people can apply for grants in respect of the 2011/12 year (I'm starting a postgrad in September in UCD that I've already been accepted onto).

(ii) Does anyone know where the list of eligible courses is - I can't find it anywhere on the site - or is it that every course - undergrad and postgrad - in an Irish university is acceptable?

(iii) I'm 29 years old, have been living in Dublin for 7 years, before that in Cork - do I apply to my VEC in Dublin or to the one in Cork (I've never applied for a grant before).

(iv) Income - I see that there are eligible income ranges posted up on the site but these only go up to €50k. If you made >€50k in the preceding calendar year before you start the course are you ineligible for any support?

Thanks y'all in advance.

Claytoon.

RoyalMarine

Claytoon wrote: »

Hi everyone

Newbie to this forum so please be nice :-)

I've spent the past 2 hours on studentfinance.ie and I am confused about a couple of things on it - if you can please help with some of the questions it would be awesome, thanks.

(i) Does anyone know, even when approximately, people can apply for grants in respect of the 2011/12 year (I'm starting a postgrad in September in UCD that I've already been accepted onto).

(ii) Does anyone know where the list of eligible courses is - I can't find it anywhere on the site - or is it that every course - undergrad and postgrad - in an Irish university is acceptable?

(iii) I'm 29 years old, have been living in Dublin for 7 years, before that in Cork - do I apply to my VEC in Dublin or to the one in Cork (I've never applied for a grant before).

(iv) Income - I see that there are eligible income ranges posted up on the site but these only go up to €50k. If you made >€50k in the preceding calendar year before you start the course are you ineligible for any support?

Thanks y'all in advance.

Claytoon.

1: the application forms are not available yet, but this forum will be busy when it does. just keep an eye out, and ill sticky a thread when they are released.

2: more or less if the course is in an institute of technology or an Irish university then it is covered.

3: you will apply to Dublin.

4: the income levels are there to help people get a rough idea of what they will be entitled to.
If you earned over 51k last year, then you will not be entitled to anything.


find where your income is in here, and it tells you how much you should be entitled to.

Claytoon

RoyalMarine, while the answer isn't quite what I hoped for (!), your helpfulness is awesome - many thanks - you've completely cleared things up and saved me hours or frustrating research. Have a super weekend.

RoyalMarine

Claytoon wrote: »

RoyalMarine, while the answer isn't quite what I hoped for (!), your helpfulness is awesome - many thanks - you've completely cleared things up and saved me hours or frustrating research. Have a super weekend.

i take it you were hoping to be able to be elligable for a grant even though your income was over the limit stated?

sadly these rules are set in place to help those who have much lower income go to college.
those who have a higher income should be able to afford it themselves by means of savings, but thats not always the case as most people realise.

Would you be elligable for Back to Education Allowance?

elligability really comes down to time spent in unemployment.

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7237/back-to-education-allowance/index.html

Claytoon

Unfortunately not, the postgrad I'm going to be doing is neither a H.Dip nor a Diploma in Education so I fall down at the first hurdle there.

Thanks for your help with this.

Crumbs87

If you are no longer working or receiving an income because you are returning to college then you may still be eligible. It is considered as a change of circumstances.

I was working full time before returning to college earned over the income limit however I quit my job and sent in my P45 with my application, making me eligible.

Claytoon

Thanks for that Crumbs87. If you don't mind me asking, did you leave your job in the same calendar year as you started college? I'm already over the €51k mark in the 2011 tax year due to the redundancy I received (I'd been in the same company for all of my career to now before anyone assumes I'm minted!!)

Crumbs87

Yep, I left in June and started college in September. As I was living at home I had to apply as a dependent so my previous years wage had to be added to my mothers which I'm pretty sure pushed it up at least over 50k if not higher. As I submitted my p45 and my mums wage on it's own was below the cut off I was entitled to the grant.

Claytoon

Thanks for that Crumbs87, that's really helpful advice.

louloubella

Hi there, I have a question regarding grants.
I will be entitled to the full grant for postgraduate studies this year.
I got it during my undergrad and Ill get it this year.
If I have to go to the UK or Scotland to do the masters will I be able to claim for the grant against the cost of fees there?
Any help on this would be great!

Rasmus

Does anyone know whether the grant forms for each county are released at the same time?