Question about getting fee's paid by grant

rhythm90

Hi folks, just a quick few questions I'm asking on behalf of a confused friend!

Ok so he is looking to go back to college in September, into 1st year DIT to study music.

From 2007 - 2009 he studied in Dun Laoghaire doing computers, but wasn't in receipt of any grant payment of any type for the time he was there. He dropped out at the end of his second year, half way through the course, due to personal reasons.

Since then, he's been out of work trying to keep busy doing Fás courses and such and receiving jobseekers allowance.

Looking on to this coming September, I am wondering where this leaves him in relation to receiving a grant to pay for his registration fee's (€2000 per yr).

He will qualify for Back to Education Allowance as he's been unemployed so long, but I'm unsure where he would stand about receiving an additional grant to pay for his fee's - which he cannot afford to pay by himself.

My first question is, does Back to Education allowance also cover your fee's? And if it does, how do you go about applying for it? .. Theres no mention of fee's on the application form...?

If it doesnt, bearing in mind he has already been to college and thus wont be eligible for a student maintanence grant, could somebody tell me if the CAO and Social Welfare departments trade information? The CAO will have his previous application on file most likely but the Social Welfare may not have a record of previous college attendance... thus him perhaps having the option of mentioning it or choosing to omit it... which may work to his advantage in applying for and securing a grant for his fee's if you understand what I mean....


Please if anybody can shed some light on this for me I would be very grateful, this has us all guessing and some solid information would be great.

Thanks!

I posted this on your other thread, dunno which you'll be coming back to so here you go: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=71655039&postcount=2

RoyalMarine

rhythm90, When someone is on BTEA, they have to apply to the county council for their registration fee's to be paid by them.

Best bet is to contact the county council and get an application, fill it out and see what they say. Its means tested, and if he can prove himself to have been fully independant from his parents, then they will means test him on his income alone.
If not, then he will be means tested on his own income and his parents income etc.

You say that your friend wont be entitled to a maintanance grant, but since he has not been funded by them, then i dont see why not...

but since he is entitled to the BTEA, its a lot better so best to stick with that and apply for his fee's through the county council.

rhythm90

Thanks trueorfalse & RoyalMarine.

RM - By county council do you mean the local VEC?

RoyalMarine

yeah sorry. forgot that level 8 students are different than level 7 etc.