Third level grant

Lucozade man

The third level grant never comes trough on time does it? So how can an 18 year old who has no money and whos parents has no money move away from home to start college on september first ?

amacachi

They can't.

Kevin joyce

The young people these days they say they have no money to go to college but that have lots of €€€ for the debs and going out.

tenchi-fan

Lucozade man wrote: »

The third level grant never comes trough on time does it? So how can an 18 year old who has no money and whos parents has no money move away from home to start college on september first ?

You were born 18 years ago. If neither you nor your parents thought about putting a few quid aside since then, maybe you don't deserve to go to college.

ismiseuisce

My parents didn't have the money so I got a job and worked the summer before college and payed for it myself.

It was easier to find a job back in 2007 though...

theboss80

Lucozade man wrote: »

The third level grant never comes trough on time does it? So how can an 18 year old who has no money and whos parents has no money move away from home to start college on september first ?

Is this going to be your first year at college? There's a new system starting this year for grant applications, its over the internet instead of local VEC's and is open soon. It will be all done centrally through Dublin this year. Hopefully might sort out the delays

the whole year inn

Whats the website,looking at going back to finish my degree.

theboss80

Keep an eye on www.studentfinance.ie , its says new application will be available in May but just checked and its not up yet. Just to let you know new applicants will from this year have to choose either grant (after major cuts) or back to education allowance (dole rates basically) if you are returning to education. Obviously back to education works out way better financially

RichardAnd

Lucozade man wrote: »

The third level grant never comes trough on time does it? So how can an 18 year old who has no money and whos parents has no money move away from home to start college on september first ?

The is going to sound harsh but if you can't afford to go to college, you don't go to college. College education is seen a right in this country, it isn't.

later12

Lucozade man wrote: »

The third level grant never comes trough on time does it? So how can an 18 year old who has no money and whos parents has no money move away from home to start college on september first ?

By trying to get a Summer job, I guess. Obviously this is going to be a much harder task than it was a few years ago.

I had an agreement with my parents that they would pay my accomodation costs only, I was responsible for tuition fees (student loan) and lifestyle costs (Summer work). They weren't being strict, they just couldn't afford to keep three children in university in two different countries simultaneously.

I didn't get any grant because my Dad was self employed, and for various reasons acquiring private finance would have been next to impossible. So technically, I couldn't afford university, and according to the above poster, I should probably have stayed at home. I would probably have kept my old job (with a firm that has gone under) and would now possibly be unemployed with no degree.

But because of the UK system of student finance, despite not being able to afford it at that time, I did go to university, have a degree, and a nice job, luckily.
Ireland does not have a similar scheme, all financial support depends on a mismanaged quasi-welfare payment called 'the grant' which will be late and will not be enough to support you without the necessity of private finance or finding a part time job (good luck with that) while you try to balance work and exams.

This is my biggest beef with Irish student rioters opposed to the imposition of tuition fees. Tuition fees are accompanied by formal student finance supports which can be paid back when you are qualified and earning a reasonable income. It is a system that can actually enrich the academic experience for everyone because it is not based on tradtional risk weightings of private finance, and I would suggest is a far more equitable way of promoting access to education.

The current system is unfair both on the taxpayer and on the students it apparently sets out to benefit. It appears to be a very inefficient public expenditure.

edit:
by the way, does anybody actually know why grant payments are so late?? Do the administrators wait until all the claims are assessed before forwarding the first payments? Do they not just go into a bundle marked approved?

thebman

Kevin joyce wrote: »

The young people these days they say they have no money to go to college but that have lots of €€€ for the debs and going out.

I'm guessing the ones that can't afford to go to college, probably don't splash out on such things.

I'm also guessing the cost of going to a debs or going out is very little compared to the cost of financing yourself through college.

I think education should remain free for all. I think an unfortunate problem is that the college award places too late combined with the government being too slow to award grants. I have no idea if either of those things can be solved though.

I think the easiest and most obvious answer is talk to your credit union/bank about getting a student loan to cover that period and try to get a job in the mean time so that if you get lucky, you can avoid taking the loan.