New applicants on Back to Education Programme will not be entitled to Maintenance Grant from VEC from 2010 but they can apply for their registration fees of €1500. Currents recipients will retain the grant.
I think there is confusion here; the BTEA 'book' grant of €500 (?) remains is placed, linked to BTEA weekly payments; the VEC weekly maintenance grant is a separate scheme and this was also claimable up to now by BTEA recipients, but not from the new academic year.