Returning to College

Hi,

Im interested in returning to college to study primary school teaching. I completed 2 years of Electronics at DIT (Cert) back in the 90s.
What kind of aid would I be entitled to in the line of Grants or whatever? Or would I need to finance it all myself?

Id appreciate any thoughts or stories from people who've ventured on a similar path.

Thanks
RB

You could possibly qualify for a grant for doing a degree. This will be based on previous income. Check with your local VEC office and they can tell you everything over the phone.

Othewise is a good website for info.

Yea whether you'd be entitled to a grant would be determined by your income in the previous year, you can check these limits on the studentfinance.ie site.

Although fees in some format will most likely be back by next sept, I think sufficient time would have elapsed that the cert in electronics wouldnt affect it. You should however closely check out the Irish language grade requirements and Id imagine if you were applying as a mature student it might form part of the interview.

My sister returned to college as a mature student to become a primary school teacher. She had to finance it all herself. She had been working in IT. The Hibernia course is around 8 grand and up until this year students would sub in schools while studying to pay it back. However it has changed this year as stricter rules were introduced in january about sick teachers being replaced by subs (only happens on the 3rd day onwards now I think) and so there is less subbing and much more competition for work as there are far more qualified teachers around now snapping up anything that is going. On top of that, with the announcement that there will be 1000 less jobs for primary teachers in September, its a not a career I would recommend getting into (she is 2 years qualified and hasnt even an interview for Sept yet) but go for it if its want you really want...
There are definitely grants available if you want to study primary school teaching in England, Its a shorter course (a year I think?) but you have to come back and do a year of Irish on top of it to be qualified.
good luck

p.s. was just looking up the INTO site there to verify what I said above and I came across this article written a few days ago:
Hundreds of graduate teachers face unemployment:
http://www.into.ie/ROI/NewsEvents/PressReleases/Title,12109,en.php
Its a handy site and you might find information on funding on it

Thanks for those replies. I did HL Irish this year so hopefully I'll get the honour required.
Most likely I'll be returning to college in a few years when finances improve!

Go raibh míle maith agaibh

you can always apply now and defer if you get the Hibernia course. I know someone starting it next February and did their interview a good while ago so places are filling up. Theres a website www.educationposts.ie that might help you no matter what path in primary teaching you chose to go.

You'll need a degree to complete a HDip course but you could do the BEd 3 year course through the CAO system.