Refused Free Fees

ENMcD

I am currently in first year and nearly finished with it and only received a letter last week stating my application for susi was refused. I attended college for the academic year 06/07 but failed my exams in may 07 so I did not return due to personal problems.
I decided last year to return to college due to no work and so I applied and received the btea and then applied to susi to get my fees covered.
My understanding at the time was I had to have a 5 year break which I believe i did from 2007-2012. When I rang susi the guy tried his best and said he thought I should be ok then put me on hold and came back saying appeal it and I think you are just outside the 5 year break. Anyone have an advice or anything to help with my appeal?

TIA

dave011

Was the course in 06/07 full time ye? And when you say the fees for college, does this include the student contribution or just the fees? I know someone that got their application refused, they appealed it and eventually got it. Took a lot of calling! Were you not entitled to the free fees initially?

ENMcD

ya sorry was a full time third level course (level 7) well the student contribution which is €2,250 when I look at my registration for college online it says
Capitation Paid by Student €2,250.00
diploma tuit fees on contract €704.00
Contract Payment €704.00
Net Term Balance €2,250.00
Net Balance for Other Terms: €0.00
Account Balance: €2,250.00
Current Amount Due as of Jan 20, 2013: €2,250.00

So i assume the college paid my fees of 704?

annex

Appeal it! Contact the Dept of Education appeals office in Tullamore, they are lovely to deal with. When I appealed I had to do it with my local VEC first so I am not sure if its the same with SUSI.
Its a pain in the behind to go through the process but its worth it in the end

Annasopra

annex wrote: »

Appeal it! Contact the Dept of Education appeals office in Tullamore, they are lovely to deal with. When I appealed I had to do it with my local VEC first so I am not sure if its the same with SUSI.
Its a pain in the behind to go through the process but its worth it in the end

No; SUSI appeals are different

OP appeal it

HelpImAlive

Wouldn't that break of education only be 4 years if you're counting from the year you dropped out (end of the year) until now?

hdowney

HelpImAlive wrote: »

Wouldn't that break of education only be 4 years if you're counting from the year you dropped out (end of the year) until now?

See that is what I am thinking. Academically speaking it has been 5 years: 07-08 is year one, 08-08 year two, 09-10 year three, 10-11 year four and 11-12 year five. So academically the OP would fit the 5 year break criteria. HOWEVER I think that SUSI are looking at it calendar year style. So they see the course the OP last did finished in 2007, so they count that as a year in education. So they start with 2008 as year one, 09 as year two, 10 as year three, 11 as year four and 12 as year five, meaning that the first year the OP could go back under the second chance would be 2013. So it really depends on what way SUSI are looking at it.

Deffo appeal OP and point out the academic years make it fit, honestly since it is to do with education SUSI SHOULD be going by academic years not calendar years but it wouldn't surprise me to hear they go by calendar ones

annex

I did first year of a level 7 in 07/08 and left. I started a level 8 in 2011 and although I was under the 5 years I was successful with my appeal, my arguement was, I probably wouldn't get offered a place again if I left the course and I would more than likely end up back on the dole.

ENMcD

Thanks for the replies, I'm getting a letter from the college stating I never registered for second year in Sept 07 so hopefully that might help and it is in academic years they count it!