Back to Education Grants Available?

Could anyone help me determine if I might be eligible for a grant if I give up work to return to college to do a postgraduate course?
I will be 23 in June of the year that I commence the course.
I do not live with parents and am not dependent on them
If I don't get it for the first year, can I get it for the second year of the course?
I didn't get a grant for my undergraduate course.

Looked up studentfinance.ie and it implied that if you are not 23 on Jan 1 of the year of course you are assumed to be dependent on your parents. This was for the Local Authority/VEC Grant.
Thanks for any help

Id imagine that your income last year would then be the determining factor if you are in independent mature applicant, if you come in under the income limit you would get a maintenance grant. You would I think have to be unemployed for several months or let go with statutory redundancy to get the BTEA.

johnno09 said:

Id imagine that your income last year would then be the determining factor if you are in independent mature applicant, if you come in under the income limit you would get a maintenance grant. You would I think have to be unemployed for several months or let go with statutory redundancy to get the BTEA.

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Johnno09, I was interested in the answer to this question.

Your answer is a complete guess !!!!

It starts with the words "I'd Imagine", and then it contains the words "I think"

Are we to take you answer as fact or is it just "how you think it is" or "how you think it should be" ?
I'm not being rude, I'm prone to the odd guess or two myself !!!

Whiskey said:

Johnno09, I was interested in the answer to this question.

Your answer is a complete guess !!!!

It starts with the words "I'd Imagine", and then it contains the words "I think"

Are we to take you answer as fact or is it just "how you think it is" or "how you think it should be" ?
I'm not being rude, I'm prone to the odd guess or two myself !!!

Click to expand...

Your post should be in letting off steam.

Johnno is correct with his information.

The problem is that I don't think that I am classed as a mature candidate. I think to be a mature canditdate you have to be 23 on Jan 1st of the year entering the course. I miss out by 6 months. This is why I asked was there any other avenues that I could apply for? Also why I asked if I could apply for a grant for the second year of the course?

Old Jim said:

The problem is that I don't think that I am classed as a mature candidate. I think to be a mature canditdate you have to be 23 on Jan 1st of the year entering the course. I miss out by 6 months. This is why I asked was there any other avenues that I could apply for? Also why I asked if I could apply for a grant for the second year of the course?

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You are right about having to be 23 on Jan 1st of the year entering the course.
My sister was 22 years and 8 months on Jan 1st of the year she did her masters, my parents paid the fees of I think 6'000. It was just a one year masters. At the time she started the course, she was not living with or dependent on my parents (but that doesn't matter, it's irrelevant).

My sister did explore other avenues, there are none that I am aware of.
The one obvious avenue is take a year out, go backpacking in Australia then return and do your masters at the expense of the Irish taxpayer, the state coffers are bulgeing with cash at the moment !

Whiskey said:

Johnno09, I was interested in the answer to this question.

Your answer is a complete guess !!!!

It starts with the words "I'd Imagine", and then it contains the words "I think"

Are we to take you answer as fact or is it just "how you think it is" or "how you think it should be" ?
I'm not being rude, I'm prone to the odd guess or two myself !!!

Click to expand...

What a complete tosser! What exactly did you offer to the poster by way of information.....oh no wait you just hijacked their post in an irrelevant direction.
But seeing as you seem to have so little to occupy your time and mind I will endeavour to indulge you.

Information I added based on having experienced the 'grants issue' myself albeit several years ago therefore i 'imagined' it would still be based on income, as are 99% of grants!
And the 'i think' bit....well thats from reading bits and pieces re the dynamic BTEA conditions.

p.s. if the name is habit inspired and given your post it seeems likely then it might be time to give AA a call

I do like the odd whiskey, and I may be a tosser (at least you think so).

However, you did post a guess as an answer. A guess is a waste of time, the op wants some facts.

And, to make things worse, your guess was completely wrong.

It doesnt matter what the ops income was, it's not a determining factor.
The only determining factor for the op is his age, he was not 23 on Jan 1st of the year of the start of the masters.
So whether his income is zero, or a million euros, he gets no grant, end of story.

So in summary, yes I probably should go to AA, but your post which was a guess, was wrong.
Why do people post guesses ?

End of argument/slagging each other off. Can we get back on track now please and let Jim have any advice that is available.

Thanks,

Sue Ellen.

OP should contact VEC/County Council for absolute clarification as rules and regs change yearly and will only just be published for 2009/10. As far as other help goes, check with the college student support unit, they will have hardship funds etc. although it would be a fair guess to say these will be well stretched in the coming year. Depending on what area the Masters is in there might be scope for Undergraduate grinds?

I read in the paper that the grant earning threshold is up a bit this year but they have changed the rule of residency, you now have to be residing in the state for 3 of the previous 5 years to be considered for a grant (not sure if consecutive residency).

It is worth noting that even if you are over 23 you are still considered dependant if you live at home. Proof of living elsewhere will be required, utility bills etc. And the paragraph below (From www.citizensinformation.ie) seem to say that heading off for the year might work against you also when you come back to try and get a grant.

Residence
Your parents or guardians or, you yourself if you are an independent mature candidate, must have been ordinarily resident in the administrative area of the local authority from 1 October prior to applying for the grant. The local authority has discretion to waive this requirement in exceptional circumstances.

This info may be totally useless but I spoke with County Dublin Vocational Education Committee and they gave me some forms for my son.

The closing date is 31st August.

The website is www.codubvec.ie and their phone no is 01 4529647. Their e-mail is info@codubvec.ie I found them very helpful.

Thanks for the help folks but I think unless you are a mature student, your parents are means tested to decide if to award a grant.
Ah well, off to my local friendly bank manager with cap in hand it is!
Pity really, especially when I read about that family in Clare taking in almost €4K pm in welfare.

I have resigned myself to having to get a loan to go back to college but I have one last question.
Next year when I will be over 23, would I be entitled to a grant for the second year of the course?