Why am I not receiving a grant?

biohaiid

I just received a letter from SUSI saying I am not eligible for a maintenance grant.
My whole family and I are completely shocked by this, as I am more than eligible, and we know it.
Our income is well below the income brackets, and anyone I know in the same position as me has been deemed eligible. So why not me?
I actually cannot afford to stay in college without this money, my brother is also a first year and the costs are just ridiculous.
They are paying my 100% student contribution, which I believe everyone gets?
BUT, they are only paying 50% of my tuition fees too?
I thought if you were a first year (for the first time) Irish student, then these were free?
I really don't wanna sound like a spoiled brat here, cos' I really am not but I really don;t understand why I amn't receiving the support I deserve.
My family is far from well off and we need this money.
Does anyone know any reason as to why I am not receiving the maintenance grant?
Any opinions/advice much appreicated.

areyawell

Because your parents are earning between 51,000 euro and 55,000 euro a year.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html

biohaiid

areyawell wrote: »

Because your parents are earning between 51,000 euro and 55,000 euro a year.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html

No, they're not.

areyawell

biohaiid wrote: »

No, they're not.

If there not then show that citizens information page to your parents and get them to ring Susi . An error might have been made. If there earning less than 41,000 you should get the full grant. But more than likely they are earning over the threshold. Are both your parents working? Don't mean to be nosy. No one here can tell you why you are not getting it unless they know your parents income, have extra property, what assets they have etc.

bookworms

Just wondering if you have done a course previously as grants cannot be paid for a second time at the same level.

biohaiid

areyawell wrote: »

If there not then show that citizens information page to your parents and get them to ring Susi . An error might have been made. If there earning less than 41,000 you should get the full grant. But more than likely they are earning over the threshold. Are both your parents working? Don't mean to be nosy. No one here can tell you why you are not getting it unless they know your parents income, have extra property, what assets they have etc.

They are earning less than 41,000.
I don't really want to discuss the rest of their private information online, but I do know that I do, or should anyway, qualify for the full grant.
Yeah my mother was talking to SUSI on the phone there, they said we can appeal it but we think there must be some kind of error, it's just not right.
Thanks for the help anyway.

We got the same reply about my sons grant. We appealed it and it has been sent back to be reviewed. The appeal took 4 weeks and it was sent back for review the week before Christmas. How long this takes is anyones guess. While your Parents income is under the threshold now, it may not have been in 2011. Keep onto it and good luck.

biohaiid

Deleted User wrote: »

We got the same reply about my sons grant. We appealed it and it has been sent back to be reviewed. The appeal took 4 weeks and it was sent back for review the week before Christmas. How long this takes is anyones guess. While your Parents income is under the threshold now, it may not have been in 2011. Keep onto it and good luck.

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Could you tell me more about the appeal process?
Did you tell them you thought it was an error, or how did you go about it?
No, my parents was under the threshold in 2011 too, which is why we can't understand this.
Thanks, you too.

biohaiid

biohaiid wrote: »

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Could you tell me more about the appeal process?
Did you tell them you thought it was an error, or how did you go about it?
No, my parents was under the threshold in 2011 too, which is why we can't understand this.
Thanks, you too.

We downloaded a form from SUSI, which my son had to fill out. He had to give a reason for the appeal, which is basically to say that as your family income was under X amount for the year 2011, that you believe you are entitled to a grant. When you post it, you must get proof of postage, just ask the Post Office to give you a receipt, it doesn't cost any more than an ordinary stamp. Then wait and hope! Your College shouldn't be hassling you for money while this process in in place. Fingers crossed!

biohaiid

Deleted User wrote: »

We downloaded a form from SUSI, which my son had to fill out. He had to give a reason for the appeal, which is basically to say that as your family income was under X amount for the year 2011, that you believe you are entitled to a grant. When you post it, you must get proof of postage, just ask the Post Office to give you a receipt, it doesn't cost any more than an ordinary stamp. Then wait and hope! Your College shouldn't be hassling you for money while this process in in place. Fingers crossed!

That sounds simple enough, Thank you!
I hope not, but the fact we are being asked to pay 50% tuition fees when I am entitled to free fees too is also worrying me.
Also accommodation and travel are very expensive for me, so the sooner this mess is sorted the better.

srsly78

From the link above: "The value of certain capital assets will be taken into account in the means test for student grants from 2013"

Do your parents have any significant assets? Like a house for example?

biohaiid

srsly78 wrote: »

From the link above: "The value of certain capital assets will be taken into account in the means test for student grants from 2013"

Do your parents have any significant assets? Like a house for example?

Do you mean the house we live in, our family home?
We own it, it's not rented or anything if that's what you mean.

areyawell

He means any land, any extra houses etc.

Just ring them again and ask for a valid explanation because you are under the threshold according to citizens information.

biohaiid

areyawell wrote: »

He means any land, any extra houses etc.

Just ring them again and ask for a valid explanation because you are under the threshold according to citizens information.

Oh okay, no we have nothing like that.
When we rang the woman on the phone could only tell us to appeal it, so I suppose that will have to do. Thanks.

srsly78

The assets get treated as extra income. What isn't clear is how they convert between the two.

They might assess a house worth e100k as equivalent to e5k of income. We don't know what multiplier they used.

Clearly the assets could push your family over the threshold tho. They put this in to stop self-employed people fiddling the system - ie paying themselves a tiny salary whilst leaving cash/assets inside company.

And yes your family home may count as an asset. Again it's not clear on the site what "certain assets" mean.

biohaiid

srsly78 wrote: »

The assets get treated as extra income. What isn't clear is how they convert between the two.

They might assess a house worth e100k as equivalent to e5k of income. We don't know what multiplier they used.

Clearly the assets could push your family over the threshold tho. They put this in to stop self-employed people fiddling the system - ie paying themselves a tiny salary whilst leaving cash/assets inside company.

And yes your family home may count as an asset. Again it's not clear on the site what "certain assets" mean.

Thank you, we're going to look into this further.

Annasopra

The appeal form is here

http://cdvec.ie/getattachment/Student-Supports/Grants/SUSI-Appeals-Form---August-2012.pdf.aspx

Annasopra

srsly78 wrote: »

From the link above: "The value of certain capital assets will be taken into account in the means test for student grants from 2013"

Do your parents have any significant assets? Like a house for example?

I could be wrong but I don't think that is relevant until the 2013/2014 grant rules are published

biohaiid

mango salsa wrote: »

The appeal form is here

http://cdvec.ie/getattachment/Student-Supports/Grants/SUSI-Appeals-Form---August-2012.pdf.aspx

Great, thank you.

biohaiid

I've been reading the Student Grant Scheme 2012 pdf that's on that site and a few things have caught my eye.
I haven't read through it all, but I plan to, but there's a few things I've noticed already.

It states that a tuition student is not eligible to a maintenance grant.
From what I gather, a tuition student is one who does not qualify for the free fees scheme.
The letter I received seems to recognise me as a tuition student, as they are granting me 50% tuition fees contribution, and there is no mention of my eligibility to the free fees scheme.
But I am eligible for the free fees scheme.
Not sure if this is wishful thinking or a bit simplistic, but could the error with this letter be that they accidentally took me for a tuition student, therefore automatically not awarding me a maintenance grant?

Also, regarding the whole capital assets thing, I don;t think that comes into play untill the 2013 applications, as it says in the link I was sent "Budget 2012: The value of certain capital assets will be taken into account in the means test for student grants from 2013."
And, in the pdf there is no mention of income for capital assets. The income below 41,000 that was sent to SUSI was a combination of income, social welfare etc. It included everything.

I also received a scholarship, the third level bursary scheme under the department of skills and education.
I didn't know I was receiving this when I applied for the grant, and it was awarded to me without me even applying, so I dont see how this how it could have affected my acceptance of the maintenance grant.
Although it states that in the pdf that students receiving grants, awards etc. are not eligible for the grant, the scholarship I received is exempt from that rule, which is also stated in the pdf.

I'm not sure if I'm getting anywhere this, and I definitely need to read over this pdf some more, but I'm hoping this issue is to due with the fact that they falsely recognised me as a tuition student when I'm not. But I could be completely wrong in what I'm saying, my head is wrecked with all this stuff and I could be majorly confused.

Annasopra

I'm not sure why you would be eligible for free fees - see here for the eligibility

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/fees.html

biohaiid

mango salsa wrote: »

I'm not sure why you would be eligible for free fees - see here for the eligibility

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/fees.html

Yep, I'm eligble.