Free Fees Eligibility

Addmagnet

I wonder if anyone can help me with some practical advice regarding the Free Fees scheme. I'm certain I qualify, but I'm having trouble convincing UCC that I do.

I left school (in the UK) back in 1981 at the age of 16. I did a 4 year apprenticeship with the Ministry of Defence in Electronic & Electrical Engineering. It included a day release college course that would have led to an HNC/HND (level 6) qualification, had I completed it. I was young and daft and after failing the first year I was given the choice of re-taking the year, or just dropping it completely. I opted to drop the course, although I did complete the apprenticeship.

Ten years later, in 1991, I was married with young children and wanted to take up study again. I started an Open University degree, completed and passed two level 1 courses (Science foundation course and Mathematics foundation course). I started some level 2 courses, but never finished them - marriage breakdown and moving across the country tends to unfocus the mind!

So to the present day: I came to Ireland in 2007. I had a nice job that paid well, until about a year ago when like a good few other folk I suddenly didn't have a job any more.

I did my research and was sure that I would qualify for the Free Fees Initiative for a level 8 course. I was accepted for a BSc (Hons) Computer Science degree course at University College Cork after making the standard CAO mature student Application.

The Fees Office at UCC requested I get the previous institutions I attended to fill in a form confirming things like attendance, type and level of course and whether the course was completed.

I can't get that information - the Open University won't provide it because I didn't finish paying the course fees and the college I attended as a 16 year old over 30 years ago simply don't keep that kind of information for longer than 7 years.

I sent a detailed email to the Fees Office explaining all of this and explained that logically, I qualify under the Free Fees eligibilty criteria as:

1. If it's believed I'm honest, both these courses are incomplete and I qualify.
2. If it's believed I'm dishonest, I never even started these courses and I qualify.
3. If it's believed I'm dishonest, I started both courses and completed them. However, I still qualify as the HNC/HND is a level 6 equivalent course and the Open University degree is a level 7 equivalent. The UCC course is a level 8 course and qualifies because it's considered progression.

My mistake in this thing is that I included these courses on my CAO application. If I'd left them off UCC would have quite happily believed that I've never darkened the doors of any third level institution and just rubber-stamped my free fees through.

I can't do this course if I have to pay the fees, so naturally I'm bitterly disappointed about that, but I'm also very angry. Angry because what I should have done was be sly and underhanded, rather than honest and up-front. Angry because I've been asked to do the impossible and angry at the apparent attitude of the Fees Office so far - that finding 2,500 Euro for this year, then again plus a bit for the next 3 years is just a matter of oh I don't know, have a look down the back of the sofa maybe?

Anyway, rant over - I would appreciate any help as I'm usually a calm, laid back kind of person, so I'm not used to dealing with the stress and anxiety this is causing!

shawki

Have you applied to susi aswell?

It's about 7400 altogether if you don't get free fees depending on the course but susi may cover a nice bit of this

paperclip2

SUSI can cover undergrad tuition fees for eligible students. Have a look through the student support scheme for 2013. You might be eligible to have your fees paid by them:
http://www.susi.ie/Susi/media/susi/SI-159-of-2013-Student-Grant-Scheme-2013_Final.pdf?ext=.pdf

As regards course progression the way the add-on system usually works is that if someone completes a two year level 6 course they can do a one year top up level 7 and then a one year top up level 8. Its not really that you can do 2 full years, then 3 full years and then 4 full years to get to a level 8 degree.

rosepetal_irl

The fee of 2500e sounds to me like the student contribution charge and all students have to pay this fee, its not tuition fees these are separate if the course has any. SUSI grant cover from paying just this fee to paying a maintenance grant as well up to 6000p yr depending on your income levels, course etc so definitely give it a go. They are still accepting applications online...susi.ie, grantsonline.ie

I did a few modules with the OU too, if you still have access to studenthome you can print off your student record it shows every module you completed and what qualifications you have received, if any.

The other colleges/schools should be able to issue something similar just ask them for your academic record.

Not sure if this is of any help, but good luck and hope it works out well for you!

Annasopra

Maybe contact the UCCSU and see if they can help you out