Can I get Leaving Cert fees back?

LegacyUser

Under pressure from my sons school I paid his fees yesterday with money I had to borrow.

I have a medical card but as it is under review and currently out of date I couldnt put it on the form for the exemption.

I text (and rang a few times) his dad yesterday to find out if he had a medical card so could use that but he only responded today and as it had to be in the school today I had to pay for it yesterday evening.

I am now down €116 euro as well as €100 I have had to pay for my meds this month while waiting for my medical card to be sorted. Not sure how we will survive this month. Only payment I get is one parent family at €247 a week. I have 2 young men to feed and clothe.

Really stressed.

Kalimah

stressedandbroke wrote: »

Under pressure from my sons school I paid his fees yesterday with money I had to borrow.

I have a medical card but as it is under review and currently out of date I couldnt put it on the form for the exemption.

I text (and rang a few times) his dad yesterday to find out if he had a medical card so could use that but he only responded today and as it had to be in the school today I had to pay for it yesterday evening.

I am now down €116 euro as well as €100 I have had to pay for my meds this month while waiting for my medical card to be sorted. Not sure how we will survive this month. Only payment I get is one parent family at €247 a week. I have 2 young men to feed and clothe.

Really stressed.

God love you. A disgrace that the school have put pressure on you to come up with the money. I've just sent my.son in with a note saying I would pay fees mid April and they can contact me if it's a problem. I'm not.in such a tight situation as you but things are difficult enough. I have two kids in college and between income cuts etc it's a stressful time. The schools only want the fees paid now so they can be organised before Easter. There is no date on the form that you have to have fees paid by. Not sure what you can do since you've paid already. Pity that you did. I can't see you getting them back now. All I can offer is moral support really.

UrbanSea

Kalimah wrote: »

God love you. A disgrace that the school have put pressure on you to come up with the money. I've just sent my.son in with a note saying I would pay fees mid April and they can contact me if it's a problem. I'm not.in such a tight situation as you but things are difficult enough. I have two kids in college and between income cuts etc it's a stressful time. The schools only want the fees paid now so they can be organised before Easter. There is no date on the form that you have to have fees paid by. Not sure what you can do since you've paid already. Pity that you did. I can't see you getting them back now. All I can offer is moral support really.

Not trying to be funny, but they're asking people for the money because if they aren't paid your child doesn't get to sit the exams. I'm sure there's bound to be a time limit for the payment, I know there was last year when I did it

Kalimah

I gave them a date for payment and that will be met. I have the form in front of me and the only date on it is the one of 30th March. That is the date on which the medical card has to be valid in order to get exemption from fees. The school sent the form out last Thusday 21st and we got a text message on the same day "telling" us to pay it asap. The students have been hassled since if they haven't paid.
My budget is so tight now that €116 euro is not there at short notice. I work part time and my partner has had massive paycuts in the last year. There is no opening for me to work fulltime so I have no extra source of income. I have two third level students at the moment that we have to fund entirely on a day to day basis. We did get approval for a grant exempting us from the student registration fee but had to borrow that in order to pay the college upfront. We did get one fee back but are STILL waiting for approval for the other inspite of providing everything they wanted from us last August!!!!!
So you can understand my irritation when my child is hassled for money by the school. I'm sick of being one of the squeezed middle.

rainbowtrout

Kalimah wrote: »

I gave them a date for payment and that will be met. I have the form in front of me and the only date on it is the one of 30th March. That is the date on which the medical card has to be valid in order to get exemption from fees. The school sent the form out last Thusday 21st and we got a text message on the same day "telling" us to pay it asap. The students have been hassled since if they haven't paid.
...
So you can understand my irritation when my child is hassled for money by the school. I'm sick of being one of the squeezed middle.

I appreciate your position and that of the OP - OP I don't think you'll get the money back now that you've paid it - but perhaps consider the bigger picture. The school is collecting the money on behalf of the State Exams Commission, it's not going towards the school. The cutoff date was this week in my school too to the best of my knowledge, so maybe you don't have the full facts. It does cost money to run the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert exams and if the SEC didn't put a date on it then the money would never come in.

calex71

My god I feel old and ignorant...... but since when did it cost money to sit the leaving cert I genuinely don't remember a fee in my day .... 10 + years ago

I was under the illusion that education was free in this country up to 3rd level with their registration fee etc.

Is this like the voluntary contribution at primary school the really isn't voluntary


.... I googled it in my ignorance while typing this... and there is a fee :eek: That is absolutely outrageous !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry OP I can't be of help but I saw the thread and though what the hell is she on about leaving cert fees.... now I know

When did they bring in the fee for the Leaving Certificate? When I was in school, there was only a fee if you had to repeat exams. That's absolutely horrendous.

calex71

Deleted User wrote: »

When did they bring in the fee for the Leaving Certificate? When I was in school, there was only a fee if you had to repeat exams. That's absolutely horrendous.

I know right????? !!!!!!!!! How the hell can 3rd level Student Unions be protesting fees etc and this goes unchallenged as a barrier to entry

rainbowtrout

calex71 wrote: »

I know right????? !!!!!!!!! How the hell can 3rd level Student Unions be protesting fees etc and this goes unchallenged as a barrier to entry

Students with a medical card do not have to pay fees. The exams are heavily subsidised as it is. If they had to pay the full cost of the exams it would be far higher. Second level education is free. You are not obliged to sit the leaving cert.

To put this in context. When one of the leaving cert papers was leaked 2 years ago it cost €1 million to rectify the situation. People must think that money grows on trees around here.

Kalimah

calex71 wrote: »

My god I feel old and ignorant...... but since when did it cost money to sit the leaving cert I genuinely don't remember a fee in my day .... 10 + years ago

I was under the illusion that education was free in this country up to 3rd level with their registration fee etc.

Is this like the voluntary contribution at primary school the really isn't voluntary


.... I googled it in my ignorance while typing this... and there is a fee :eek: That is absolutely outrageous !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry OP I can't be of help but I saw the thread and though what the hell is she on about leaving cert fees.... now I know

I did my Leaving Cert in 1980 and there was a fee even then!

rainbowtrout

Kalimah wrote: »

I did my Leaving Cert in 1980 and there was a fee even then!

Yes the fee has always been there, some people just don't realise this as their parents possibly had a medical card so they don't remember bringing money to schoool... because they didn't have to.

Miaireland

If your husband has a medical card contact the school and tell them you were unaware of this when you paid the fees and ask for a refund.

solerina

I have no idea when they brought in fees to sit the LC but its definately more than 20 years ago, it was free then too if you have a medical card.
Hope you get your card situation sorted out soon OP.

Sleepy

Could you contact the welfare officer? If they're prepared to hand out hundreds for communion expenses I think you should definitely qualify for some assistance here.

LegacyUser

Can you get the fees refunded if the child is dropping out of school, does anyone know?