Switching Courses Query

Finished13

I'm currently entering my final year in DCU. I've been receiving student grants in order to study due to my family not being overly well off and all in all I've been getting on fine.

However, I've decided that my course is not one that will send me down my ideal career path and I am considering switching to a course in Trinity or UCD. Now, I'm not exactly sure how to do that, or if I'll be eligible for the grant when switching. I have heard that you don't receive the grant for the first year of a new course, but you get it then for the next few years.

So basically, I'm wondering if I'm better off finishing my course and then starting anew in the new course, or if I should make the decision to switch soon and leave my course. How would I go about doing it and what would be the best course of action? Any help will be greatly appreciated because, honestly, I know very little about this subject..

Thanks in advice.

jamo2oo9

If you complete the course you are currently doing and start a new course after that, you will have to pay fee. The Free Fees Scheme only applies to first time college students.

GrezzC

Finished13 wrote: »

I'm currently entering my final year in DCU. I've been receiving student grants in order to study due to my family not being overly well off and all in all I've been getting on fine.

However, I've decided that my course is not one that will send me down my ideal career path and I am considering switching to a course in Trinity or UCD. Now, I'm not exactly sure how to do that, or if I'll be eligible for the grant when switching. I have heard that you don't receive the grant for the first year of a new course, but you get it then for the next few years.

So basically, I'm wondering if I'm better off finishing my course and then starting anew in the new course, or if I should make the decision to switch soon and leave my course. How would I go about doing it and what would be the best course of action? Any help will be greatly appreciated because, honestly, I know very little about this subject..

Thanks in advice.

If I'm not mistaken, switching right now will leave you in the following position: You will have to come up with the full fees for the first three years of a level 8 degree in UCD or Trinity and then the grant scheme will kick in again once more. That's just the tuition scheme I'm talking about, (the system that knocks your charge for the year down to just the 2,500 registration fee). If you're talking about what SUSI will do I'd imagine it's much the same but I'm gonna have a look into it now as well. It might be in your best interests finishing and completing the other course after working to save a bit of money, they'll probably grant you advanced entry if the courses are somewhat similar and you do exceptionally well too, so you won't be paying another four years tuition.

Cravez

I'm not overly familiar with course transfers, but I imagine you could only transfer to UCD or Trinity for your last year to do a course that is the same/similar to what you are doing now.

If that's not what you want your options would most likely be as follows:
1) Complete your final year and get your degree and then do a masters in the field of study you wish to do.

2) Complete your final year and get your degree and then start a new degree part-time in the area of study you wish to do. Part time fee's are usually a lot cheaper doing it part time than full time and you can claim tax back on your fees

3) Complete your final year and get your degree and then start a new full-time degree in the area of study you wish to do. This wouldn't be as better as part time because you will have to pay full tuition fee's for this degree which is more expensive.

4) Don't do your final year and next year if you do a new course full-time you will have to pay full fee's for the first 2/3 years and then get fee's paid for your final year

5) Drop out of your course altogether, wait 5 years and then come back to do your new degree as a second chance student where you can claim free fee's again.

Ideally, considering you are just about completed your degree, id finish it and go with option 1) or option 2). At least you have a degree and that can still open many opportunities in terms of work or further study. It would be shame to have the 2/3 years studied gone to waste. You could always do work after the degree and then study part-time as like option 2.

SomewhereNicer

The post above mine outlines your options very well.
I'm kind of in a similar situation as yourself. Basically I don't think I want a career in what I'm studying. I'm interested in studying and working in an entirely different area altogether, but not sure how to go about achieving it.
Anyway, I only have 1 year left to do on my current course. So I'm going to do it and graduate from the course, so at least I have the degree and have a fall back option and not have "wasted" the last few years at uni.
Of course it depends on your situation, but I would stay and finish your degree, as the academic year isn't that long anyway.
With regards to fees and grants: basically you have to be progressing each year in order to get the free fees and grant. So if you start a new undergraduate course then you will have to pay full fees for 1st year, 2nd year , etc. and will not receive a higher education grant because you have already availed of those entitlements.
So again, like the above poster mentioned, perhaps do a masters in the area you're interested in studying (if that's a possibility). I don't know too much about masters and the fees or grants (if any) which go with them.

Hope that helps a little.