How many hours are you allowed to work if you receive a grant as a mature student?

If you gave up your full-time job your Council/VEC should treat your income situation as a 'change in circumstances' since as soon as you start college your income will be 0. So really you're allowed work enough up to the point that you earn enough income that you would no longer be eligible.

Everywhere you work has different rates so the money rather then the amount of hours matters.

Well it's really the total for the year that would matter, so you'd have to budget/plan how much you would be receiving during the coming year.

Sagittarius79 wrote: »

Thanks, do you know what the cut off for the total amount would be? As I said I'd only be working 20 hrs a week max for around minimum wage.

Ah my apologies. The total amounts are on this page some way down it ('Family Income Limits').

Also, would the fact I'm being made redundant this year have any impact on my grant, seeing as its based on your earnings from the previous year? Well thats my understanding of it.

I alluded to this in my first post... my understanding is that if you're applying you'd be assessed under a 'change in circumstances' and thus would be assessed on your new level of income, which would be whatever you'd be earning in the 20 hours a week or however much you'll be working then. Best to send in a quick query to your Council/VEC

I'm unsure if any redundancy monies would be taken into account, they may well be.

Ah that's good to hear, but I wonder if that's just for Dublin City Council or whether (who I've heard are quite good overall with grants) or for everywhere.

Hrm, on the other hand does this mean that students won't get their grants until at least November I wonder.

And yeah, studentfinance.ie and citizensinformation.ie haven't been undated with the November date yet, but sure we'll see.

Sagittarius79 wrote: »

There definitely was a delay in them sending out the forms, they weren't even available until the start of this month. I only received mine in the post last Monday.

Ah I know, I meant whether the date being pushed back is just for DCC or everywhere though

abi2007 wrote: »

I applied for a grant based as a independant mature student, I'm 25 and bought my house on the 4th of October last year. I got a call today to say that they will have to access me on my parents income if I can't provide a utility bill from the 1st of October. Which I can't as I didn't live there till the 4th. I did ask would they reconsider as it's only three days. no such luck. what should i do?

I read this, and my first reaction was to put my face into my palm. That's insane. Seriously, I understand that they are the rules but for gods sake it's mindnumblingly obvious that you're independent and especially if you have proof three days later.

Perhaps it's the fact it's Friday but in this circumstance I'd be getting on to your local Councillor to try to get him/her to lobby on your behalf, or appealing to the Minister of Education (information in second paragraph here).

Following the regulations here (Word Document) the Local Authority does have the power to waive the residency requirement in exceptional circumstances. If it was me, I'd ask to be considered under these circumstances and produce as much evidence that you are independent as possible (and that you'd feel comfortable with).

4.1.1 The candidate's parents or guardians, or, in the case of an independent mature candidate, the candidate herself/himself, shall have been ordinarily resident in the administrative area of the Local Authority from 1 October 2007. The Local Authority shall have discretion to waive this requirement in exceptional circumstances.

It's difficult to say really what to do in this situation other then start to argue with them! I assume that you wouldn't be entitled to a grant if they take your parents income into account.

*sigh*