Post Graduate Grants (Budget 2012)

Souless

I just picked up my Ma in Classics there yesterday and was strongly thinking about going back to do a PHD in September once I get some research done and some money in the bank and pay off the loan that I took out for my MA, as I'm luckily working full time at the moment.

Basically I was just wondering if anybody knows if they have abolished the grant for future post graduate students? I've never got the grant before but my circumstances have changed over the last year as my father's out of work so I think I'd be eligible for one now assuming they have not in fact done away with them. I'm highly confused by the papers take on it at the moment, the Times says that the Maintenance Grant for Postgrads is being done away with and the Indo says that it is being scaled back. Needless to say if I can't get the grant it's not a viable option here in Ireland anyway. Any feed back would be appreciated.


Thanks

VALIS

From the budget here (p.34):

http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2012/Documents/CER%20-%20Estimates%20Final%20Part%202.pdf

and a thread about it here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056449765&page=5

"Amend grants system for post-graduate studies by paying fees only (no
maintenance grant) for special rate students, and providing a €2,000
fee contribution grant to a further 4,000 students. Measures apply to
new entrants only, from 2012. Existing grant-holders will be unaffected."

It looks like you may only be entitled to 2000 off your fees or full-fees paid if you get the special rate unfortunately.

Souless

VALIS wrote: »

From the budget here (p.34):

http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2012/Documents/CER%20-%20Estimates%20Final%20Part%202.pdf

and a thread about it here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056449765&page=5

"Amend grants system for post-graduate studies by paying fees only (no
maintenance grant) for special rate students, and providing a €2,000
fee contribution grant to a further 4,000 students. Measures apply to
new entrants only, from 2012. Existing grant-holders will be unaffected."

It looks like you may only be entitled to 2000 off your fees or full-fees paid if you get the special rate unfortunately.

Thanks for the quick reply, didn't realise there was a thread already. That's sickening but no really to shocking as they were prediciting it, I know I'll never vote for Labour again anyway Looks like it'll be abroad if at all at this stage then

Raphael

Well if you're getting BTEA, you can't get the grant anyway, so it's a moot point.

Edit: Dur, next year, right. If you're special rate, which is I believe defined in the documents somewhere as the people who got a fair whack of money (basically it's both parents on teh dole style situation), you'll get full fees - else 2k knocked off them if you're lucky, nadda if you're not.

Consider HDips, if you're over 24 you can get BTEA for those.

Chet T16

Without looking it up special rate is when the combined family income is below 24k. I get it and i also get BTEA and my wife works part-time.

Shine Star

Does anyone know does this "no grant rule" apply from the academic year 2012 as in sept or is it from jan 2012? What if you were to start a research masters in say april? That is still in the academic year 2011/2012? Find this all rather confusing

Raphael

Probably January 2012.