Third level entitlement

[dandy]

Hi all, my daughter has returned having spent 3yrs and 6mths backpacking around Australia and New Zealand. She now wants to do a course in sign language at Trinity but was told she would have to pay foreign student rates of between €7 and €10k as she was out of the EU for more than 3 yrs. Surely this
cant be right as she was born and reared in this country and worked here before going to OZ what are we paying taxes for if our children cannot access further education without being ripped off in our own country.

 

[irishmoss]

Unfortunately she will have to pay

Free fees

In order to qualify for free fees you must have been living in an EEA member state or Switzerland for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your course. The members of the EEA (the European Economic Area) are the 27 members of the EU, along with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e..._supports_for_third_level_education/fees.html

 

[johnno09]

Question

Just wondering if you don't volunteer this information how do they check that you were in oz rather than sitting at home watching Jeremy Kyle?

 

[shesells]

Just wondering if you don't volunteer this information how do they check that you were in oz rather than sitting at home watching Jeremy Kyle?

I would hope they would. There would be records of activity on the PPS number whether tax related or benefit related. 42 months is a long time to be travelling, and I would expect the gap in the records to be noticed.

OP - fees are not a rip off, 3rd level education is massively subsidised and is the largest draw on the education budget though the fewest benefit. The rules are, no tuition fees subject to certain conditions, one being residency. Your daughter doesn't meet that condition so isn't entitled to free tuition at this time.