Financial help for college?

mariadb

Hi all,

I'm new to this board and just wondering if anyone has any information on different financial supports available to mature students? I have been offered a place on a General Nursing Degree. As I already completed one year of a Level 7 degree back in 2011 I don't think I am eligible for the free fees this year. I am entitled to SUSI but it means I will have to pay the student contribution myself (3,500) and I just don't have that kind of money.

I am out of work due to covid, my workplace has not opened back up and my daughters creche has closed permanently as well so I don't have the childcare facilities to find a new job at the moment. I am relying solely on a one parent family payment right now and barely making ends meet. I have managed to enroll my daughter in a new creche from the beginning of October so I can still go to college, but I have no childcare outside of the 9-5 5 days a week to work.

I am wondering if anybody has had any luck getting any help from SVP toward fees? I imagine I could probably scrape about 1000 together myself throughout the course of the year if I go without as much as possible and borrow a little from my parents.

I am not eligible for any bursaries, i should be eligible for the student assistance fund (which is around 350 2x anually if i'm not mistaken) which wouldn't really make a dent in my fees. I am not able to apply for a loan as I am only on social welfare right now and still trying to repay my car loan from a few years ago when I was working full time and no banks will entertain it.

If anyone has any ideas at all please let me know. Or if anybody knows how much SVP will help towards the fees, or if there is any way for me to ask the college to waive the fees?

TLDR; Need to pay 3500 student contribution myself and struggling to raise that much money. If anyone has had any dealings with SVP and asking for help with college fees please let me know.

(Also please nobody get onto me over being on social welfare, I'm 27 and have worked since I was 16 with only a 5 month break for maternity leave in 2018, and this is the first time I have ever been on any sort of social welfare payment.)

DeeAvery

It might have been a typo but I thought all General Nursing degrees were Level 8? If you did a year of a level 7, graduated or not and now you’re doing a level 8 it would be classed progression.

Also, 5 years after leaving a course (as long as you drop out and don’t get the award) you’re classed as a second chance student. So in that case any level qualification could be funded by SUSI, meeting all other eligibility criteria of course.

My best advice is to give SUSI a phone call, express you’re concerns and queries with them and apply anyway to see what you will get. Bare in mind there are deadlines etc. so that is part of the reason I suggest contacting SUSI.

Wanderer19

Have a chat with SW, see what payments are available. There is a grant of €500 available, but that may only be applicable to short courses. Good luck x

calfmuscle

As a student nurse your course hours won't be 9 to 5 and you can definitely pick up carer hours when not in college and do have child care. Its not the easiest but will definitely help. Best of luck with it