Meeting St. Vincent de Paul tomorrow :( need your advice

LegacyUser

I have a meeting with SVP tomorrow and Im terrified at the thoughts of it. I had to ask them for help to pay my registration fee this year because I was refused the grant.

I am losing my job this Friday and they refuse to take this as a change in my circumstances for the grant. They are going off my income from last year which was only about €28000 but they are also taking my parents income into account because I couldnt prove that Im independent. Anyway enough rambling about the grant!

Can anyone give me any advice for tomorrow? Im meeting the education board and I feel so useless and I dont know what they will ask me. I feel so pathetic having to ask them for help but if I dont get their help then I wont be able to start college this September

Has anyone had experience with them before?

padd b1975

Just be as honest as possibile.

I am sure they will help if they can.

Best of luck.

username123

Theres no need to be terrified, they are meeting with you to try to help you.

What I would say to you is this though, I know its very difficult, but would you not put college on hold until you are in a financial position to be able to go? Its a massive strain to put yourself under to have to meet with SVP to be able to go to college. Im not sure I even like the idea of SVP using peoples donated money to fund private education tbh.

Can the college not help out at all with a student loan?

saltyporridge

I can't give you any advice about your meeting with SVP but once you get your P45 from work you should appeal that grant decision immediately. I'm assuming that it was a final decision.

Even if the grant authority (I assume that it is SUSI) refuse the appeal, you can then appeal directly to the Department of Education. I work in this area and know that the Department will take your change of circumstances into account. It might take a while (you'd be talking months) but I would encourage you to follow up on it.

Good Luck!

Oryx

I was a voluntary worker with StVdP years ago. The thing to remember is that these are normal everyday people who do this to help people like you who need it. Just be open and honest, and explain what you need and why you need it.

looksee

I tend to agree with username123 about the use of VdeP funds for education? I'm sorry you have lost your job, but this registration fee is not coming as a surprise to you, surely if you intend to go to college you must have made some provision in anticipation? And how are you anticipating getting through the year(s) if you cannot manage the registration?

purplepapillon

username123 wrote: »

Im not sure I even like the idea of SVP using peoples donated money to fund private education tbh.

looksee wrote: »

I tend to agree with username123 about the use of VdeP funds for education? I

Actually, the VDP have an education fund that they divide out to different areas to help those in need. I think help with fees used to happen in the good times, but I didn't know it did anymore. They help a lot with families and going back to school costs now. Cases are going up in big numbers this year.

OP, I hope your meeting today went well. I would also echo to be honest. Best of luck with everything.

LegacyUser

I suggest going to your college and ask for help. They gave me a loan when I had problems paying. I was able to pay back in affordable installments.

I would use SVP if you could not afford food, rent or utilities. I would suggest doing what one poster suggested, appeal to the Department of Education even if it takes months. You can get the loan from your college whilst going through the process. What are you going to do the next year or the year after? It is better to fight for your case now so you can get the help you rightfully need for the upcoming years.

For education, I thought the SVP would help single or teenaged parents?

purplepapillon

fdsa wrote: »

For education, I thought the SVP would help single or teenaged parents?

They help whomever needs, whether it's a single parent or someone out of prison who has no support. There's not that much funding, but a little help with people can go a long way sometimes!

username123

purplepapillon wrote: »

Actually, the VDP have an education fund that they divide out to different areas to help those in need. I think help with fees used to happen in the good times, but I didn't know it did anymore. They help a lot with families and going back to school costs now. Cases are going up in big numbers this year.

I didnt know that. I would have considered private 3rd level university education to be a luxury. Fair enough with school costs. I never thought a degree was something that a charity would help out with, I thought that they helped people out for food, shelter, clothing etc... It would make me rethink who I would donate to tbh.

I certainly do not mean or wish any bad thoughts on the OP btw, if they do help out then great for him/her.

tony81

Hi Op. I suppose it doesn't do any harm to ask. But you should also consider your college's hardship fund and student loans - even your parents if you're living with them (seeing as you're means tested on them)

zef

I didn't have the reg fee to send my son back to college this year, so it's gone on the back burner.
I didn't realise the svdp helped out with this!
I thought it was shopping vouchers for hungry people, or bags of coal for those finding it hard to heat their house. There are many people in this predicament, cannot afford the basics. 3rd level education is not a 'basic'.

purplepapillon

zef wrote: »

I didn't have the reg fee to send my son back to college this year, so it's gone on the back burner.
I didn't realise the svdp helped out with this!
I thought it was shopping vouchers for hungry people, or bags of coal for those finding it hard to heat their house. There are many people in this predicament, cannot afford the basics. 3rd level education is not a 'basic'.

I didn't mean to say they help out with this. I think they used to, when they had more funds. Not anymore. It's mostly primary and secondary back to school costs. Obviously, yes, the main part of the work is the basics, mainly food vouchers. It's scary to see how many people are on the breadline in only one small area. It's a disgrace.

zef

"I had to ask them for help to pay my registration fee this year because I was refused the grant." from OP

The OP seems to think he can get help with this from them.
I'd rather my son wait a year or 2 until things get better than to pester an already over-subscribed christian org. to pay for him.
They won't pay my son the basic Jsa as he has to prove he is not going back to college (not possible until next month)
I suggest the OP take a reality check.

neemish

Part of what the SVP do is help people with day to day basics like food, fuel, bills etc as well as times of the year that cause more stress eg Christmas.
But there is a also a separare fund for education. There is a growing realisation that to help people get back on their feet or to escape from a poverty cycle, education and training may be needed. Which is why there is funding for back to school/college etc. The OP is 'taking' money from people who need it for food etc. Some funds are ringfenced for education only

Taltos

As the OP will have met with SvP at this stage we are closing the thread.
Discussions over what they do or do not provide are not within the remit of this forum and are best suited elsewhere.

Thanks
Taltos