SUSI Grant appeal - HELP!!

Dstep

Hey, I really need help if anyone can offer me some advice!

I applied for a postgraduate course in August (late application) i got the course and have been in it since early October.

I also applied for a grant from SUSI in August, as the fees are 6,000e and I can't afford them. On the 23rd of August I received a letter saying I have been "deemed eligible to progress to the next step of the student grant assessment process" so i proceeded to send off all the documentation needed.

When I started college they gave me a bank giro to pay my fees and i told them I would be getting a grant and about the letter i got and they said ok they'll wait for the grant.

NOW (well yesterday the 17th of December) I just received a letter saying that I have been deemed ineligible because my income is over the limit. I can't afford to pay these fees and i"ve already done half a year of the damn course. WHAT DO I DO????

I am 25 and I live at home with my parents (one is retired and the other is on disability allowance and can't work) and I only work part-time. How am i not eligible?? I've been told to appeal but i'm terrified I won't get anywhere and I'll have to drop out after all the work I've done so far!!

Annasopra

There are two types of grants for postgrad

1: a fee grant of 2000 if income is less than 31500

2: a fee grant of upto 6270 if income is less than 22,700 and you are receiving a social welfare payment


If you think you are eligible based on condition 1 or 2 then you should definitely appeal

Dstep

Well based on total income from last year with my parents income and my own it totals to approx. 52,000e but thats all before my dads pension is taxed and my circumstances have changed as I now work part-time. Do I stand a chance at getting any help from a grant?

Annasopra

Dstep wrote: »

Well based on total income from last year with my parents income and my own it totals to approx. 52,000e but thats all before my dads pension is taxed and my circumstances have changed as I now work part-time. Do I stand a chance at getting any help from a grant?

It's hard to say for certain because you could argue a change in circumstances because of your drop in income. I think you could appeal it but you should prepare for a decision to go either way.

Dstep

That's what I expected to hear. It's so annoying because when I called them up after my college gave me the bank giro I asked them was I definitely getting the grant and they said yeah i should and that's the only reason I accepted the course. I wouldn't have if I thought I wouldn't get it and now they tell me half way through the year and because of this I might have to drop out! Ba'Humbug to all!!

Burswood

Hey Dstep.

I'm currently in 3rd year and have received the grant for the last 2 years. I got a letter over the summer saying I, like yourself, was eligible for renewal. After THREE letters over the last 4 months, back and forth with my co co, every time saying I needed more info on my dad's income, I received a letter today saying that I now was ineligible.

The first letter we sent out after they told us we needed more info, had my father's total income included, and they even acknowledged this in their return letter (in which they asked for more information on the means of the income - which, I will add, they asked for 3 times).

Constantly asking for more and more and more information to the point where we actually had to get the accountant to ring them up telling them they simply couldn't get any more information from us!

I'm just getting a bad feeling from all of this carry on.

Dstep, you're not the only one left wondering.

Appeal.

Bloodfued

Hi I was also deemed to be over the limit based on my parents wages and mine in 2011. I put in an appeal based on change of circumstances as I am now on the dole. You can put in an appeal within 30ays of receiving the letter from SUSI, and they have 30 days to process it and get back to you.

In your case if there has been a dramatic fall in income since 2011, then this can be a reason for appeal, you will need to submit evidence though.

The appeal form can be found on the Cdvec website, and the SUSI terms and conditions can be found on the student finance website. Also if you are working part time I think SUSI has to discount summer earnings earned outside to term time up to a certain amount (around €3800).

Hope this helps, I'm praying il be successful in my appeal. The lady from SUSI said that the appeals officers will really fight your case.

Also - there is a blue box of the bottom of the first page on the appeals form, it says that appeals officer does not take 'circumstances' into account, I asked the help desk what this meant and a supervisor said that that was in relation to 3rd parties and that the appeal will be assess on your case only and not of things that happen to others etc. I was worried they wouldn't accept my fall of income as a circumstance but that was ok.

Do put in an appeal, it costs nothing and you can email it in!
Good luck!

teachash

Hi
I had the same experience. I am a mature student and they sent me a letter saying that I was entitled to the grant. On this basis I took up the Masters course that I am currently doing. I received a letter before Christmas saying that I had been refused. I immediately sent in an appeal. I think that they are only half looking at some of the applications and getting them all wrong. None of the deductables had been deducted from my gross income. I have resent in the relevant doc and am now waiting for a reply. I am constantly phoning but you get no definate answers.
My advice - keep appealing until you have exhausted every avenue and make sure you check that they have totted up your final income correctly with all deductions.

LALI BLANCHE

15:52
I want to apply for susi grant 2017/2018 but I cant access because it says that my user account has been disabled.Iam? repeating the leaving cert as an external student this and I was granted susi grant last year but I didn't go to college and decided to repeat the leaving cert.please help me as I can not? access the susi grant application as my user account is disabled and don't know what to do.

Please help what should I do?

Sup08

You should start a new thread for new items but contact SUSI and get a new account.
Redundant accounts may have been closed by SUSI.