Fees - mature student but was never undergrad

C

camel

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Is a person who is a mature student (over 23 years old) entitled to free third level education fees if they have never been an undergraduate previously. Or does it depend on current financial circumstances?
 
If you were never an undergrad you are entitles to fees paid regardless of how "mature" you are!
 
The grant paid by the council is totally seperate to the free fees! Don't get them confused.

The basic answer is that if you haven't done an undergraduate course you get free fees (assuming you are an Irish/EU citizen etc.). However there are a few small issues you may have to check out. For example, you must be resident in the EU for 3 of the past 5 years. This and other small sort of things would effect less then 1% of people looking to get free fees, but you would be better off contacting the fees office in the university/college you wish to study to confirm you are okay for free fees.
 
If you were a self funded undergraduate and now would like to return to do another degree how does that one work as regards funding?
 
Swallows said:
If you were a self funded undergraduate and now would like to return to do another degree how does that one work as regards funding?
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I've no basis for this but I think you don't qualify. I don't think it matters where you got your undergrad or who funded it. I think it's the point that you already have a degree. I got my degree in the UK and when I was looking into doing a degree over here I'm fairly sure I was told I'd have to pay my way. But the PG Dip was covered cos it was an academic progression.
 
I looked into this last month with the Department of Educ. Once you have a degree (self funded or whatever), you have to pay for your 2nd degree as it's not seen as 'progression' and won't be funded.

S
 
O,K, I was specifically thinking of the Open University which I self funded without help from grants etc. in another life when I was working. If, and its a big if, I decided to try another undergraduate course, I presume I wouldn't be funded and that it's because I already have a degree and not because I was funded before with a grant?
 
I presume free fees (for someone who was never an undergrad) do not apply to full-time courses in private colleges?

If so, does someone have a list of institutions that free fees do apply to?
 
Swallows said:
O,K, I was specifically thinking of the Open University which I self funded without help from grants etc. in another life when I was working. If, and its a big if, I decided to try another undergraduate course, I presume I wouldn't be funded and that it's because I already have a degree and not because I was funded before with a grant?
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Yes, I guess it's an issue of progression but interestingly, I knew someone who had done some OU study - had not completed a degree, just did the odd undergraduate module and used it for mature student entry into Trinity on a full-time degree. They had to pay First Year fees, apparently although the OU gets no direct funding from RoI government and students are part-time, students are eligible for tax relief, so that's the basis of government support and the reason why he had to pay 1st year.

Trinity student finance people were very helpful and pointed him towards his Local Authority who were able to offer some grant/fee support.

helpful website.
 
I've no basis for this but I think you don't qualify. I don't think it matters where you got your undergrad or who funded it. I think it's the point that you already have a degree. I got my degree in the UK and when I was looking into doing a degree over here I'm fairly sure I was told I'd have to pay my way. But the PG Dip was covered cos it was an academic progression.
Click to expand...

Does this mean that a self funding graduate is still allowed to avail of 4 years of free fees so long as there is academic progression e.g.

Can someone with a degree get e.g. 1 year for PG Dip, another year for Masters and another 2 years for Doctorate?
 
Csirl, yes.

From the Student Finance website as linked to above:

"It is thus possible, depending on your means, to enrol in a PLC course and graduate some time later with a Doctorate degree without you being required to pay tuition fees."
 
If you dropped out of college during the first year (and were receiveing grants up to that point), and now, years later, want to enter a course, will the fees be paid ?
 
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