Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Finance available to Masters students?

  • 15-11-2012 5:05pm
    #1
    finuge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10 ✭


    Hi, does anyone know what options are open to Masters students outside of the fees grant from SUSI? Will SUSI give any type of maintenance grant for a Masters student?

    I applied for the part time back to education allowance but was turned down as the course is listed as full time even though it is only run two days a week in semester 1 and one day in semester 2. I appealed the decision but no joy. The back to education allowance does not allow MA students to apply. I ve been looking at this but I m sure I will hit another wall, the Education, Training and Development Option. Any help would be great.


Comments

  • #2
    KarmaBaby
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 299 ✭✭KarmaBaby


    finuge wrote: »
    Hi, does anyone know what options are open to Masters students outside of the fees grant from SUSI? Will SUSI give any type of maintenance grant for a Masters student?

    I applied for the part time back to education allowance but was turned down as the course is listed as full time even though it is only run two days a week in semester 1 and one day in semester 2. I appealed the decision but no joy. The back to education allowance does not allow MA students to apply. I ve been looking at this but I m sure I will hit another wall, the Education, Training and Development Option. Any help would be great.

    In terms of any funding options you can get from the state, I'm afraid there aren't any. The government has removed all publicly funded student grants for postgraduates and our wonderful union leadership sat back and let it happen. As you said the BTEA is also not available, which to me makes absolutely no sense since you're likely to be on the dole anyway or forced into taking up the useless jobs bridge scheme which is of less benefit than a masters.

    One option for you might be the ESF Student Assistance Fund. The deadline for the first application passed in September I believe, but there is another deadline in January for the second semester. I don't know if the fund is available for masters students. There is some info here but not a lot.

    http://www.ittralee.ie/en/InformationFor/FutureStudents/MatureStudents/GrantsandFinance/

    Apart from that there are student loans available from Bank of Ireland and Credit Union specifically for Postgraduates. The interest rates are not great but it would allow you to suspend repayment until 6 months after you've completed your masters, assuming there's a job out there for you by then.


Advertisement