Need what i think is basic advice.

andyseadog

Hi, first time posting around these parts.

basically i completed my leaving cert in 2008 at age 17, (done reasonably badly, circa 110 points) and decided not to go on to third level because i already had a job lined up (in the motor industry) doing what i wanted to do in life.

so to chop a long story very short, after around 18 months on the job i got laid off, without completing my training so 'qualificationless'. i then spent a couple of months on the dole and then slipped into a menial job working for TESCO where i still am.

so it seems things in the motor industry aren't picking up, so the chances of someone finishing my training are slim to nil, as are the chances of someone letting me start from scratch again.

anyway, the combination of having no qualification and a crap job has made me want to go to college full time to further myself.

really basic questions to be asked, i have a course in mind

how do i apply for it?
how do i finance it?
just generally how do i get the ball rolling?

eirn

hi there,
You can apply to your county council (V.E.C.) for a third level grant which would cover tution costs and at the top rate, give you around 3 grand (i think) for each year of study, for a max of 4 years.

as far as I know you need to be at least 23 before you can apply as a mature student. If that was the situation, you wouldn't need to worry about points, but could apply directly to a college and have interview, etc, to assess your suitability.
If you were unemployed for a year, you could claim back to education allowance.

What you could do now is look at a post leaving cert course in a subject your interested in, and then build your qualifications, e.g. cert, diploma, degree. Or approach a college directly that you would be interested in attending, and see if they have any direct entry courses that you could do.
Im not 100%, but pretty sure the C.A.O. deadline has passed for this year, which would be another option of applying for college. Never too late. Have a look online at colleges, institutes of further education, to get an idea of what courses are on offer and ring their admissions departments directly and see what they'd suggest.

andyseadog

thanks for that

i asume i can't apply for a grand because i'm working a part time job and a student loan is what i need? or is that not the case?

i'm very interested in this course

http://www.bife.ie/PLC%20Courses/pages/ComputerAidedDesign.aspx

and i seem to meet the requirements, apparently interviews have already started for courses starting in September, but i intend to call them on Monday and hopefully this hasn't filled just yet.

thanks again for the great advice!

eirn

Best of luck with it. For the grant you are assessed on your parent's income for the previous year, and your own income but you get an allowance of a couple of grand. You can also apply as an independent candidate if you've been living away from home for a certain amount of time, and your income is under a certain amount. In which case your fees will still be paid, and you'll get more money during the year. Sorry I'm being vague, but they've changed the amounts recently, and I don't want to give incorrect info. It's a long and boring form! But would be well worth it if you got it.
You also need to make sure that the grant authority recoginises the course/colloge you want to go to. Would be worth giving them a call. All the info is also online.
For a student loan you'll almost certaintly need someone to act as a gaurantor for you. Open a credit union account if you haven't already got one, or any of the major banks, shop around for the best interest rate, and work out what the bare minimum you can get by on is. Never a gaurantee of employment even when you've finished, would be awful to be saddled with debt. And as Eddie Hobbes would say avoid overdrafts and credit cards:) I think your def right to make the calls as soon as possible, no point in putting it off, you'd be amazed at how quickly you could be sorted for next sept. once you get started.

andyseadog

this is why i love boards, brilliant help

i'l get on the phone to Wicklow VEC and the college in question first thing Monday morning and see where i stand with them, then hopefully get the green light and try to get this moving from there and hope i'm not too late for this September.

thanks to the celtic tiger i've already taken out a 3 car loan and fully repaid it without any hassle, so hopefully should i need to re-apply for another it shouldn't be as difficult, although i understand finance is a lot harder to get these days.

i really appreciate your help, i'l post back here Monday evening with how i got along. and looking at your post count, welcome to boards

eirn

Ah thanks:) Hope it all works out for you!

Grant-wise having a part time job means you get less money, but you're still possibly eligible, depending what your income/parent's income is like. In general, if one of your parents is self employed you might have more difficulty. This site will tell you what you need to know, your course seems to be there under CAD.
http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7232/maintenance-grant/index.html
Start with Find you scheme and where to apply, and it can give you an estimate of what level of assistance you'll get. You don't know for sure until you actually get accepted, but personally, it predicted my grant level perfectly before I applied, so I knew what to expect.