Grants/Funding and other Financial Matters
The following are a number of financial supports available to eligible students in third level education, however check locally for others e.g. through your local VEC, Banking Institutions, Partnership and Community Development Groups. The website www.studentfinance.ie also provides information on financial support for further and higher education. Additional funding and finance information
MATURE STUDENTS GRANTS/FUNDING AND FINANCE
Student Maintenance Grants
Students attending full-time third-level programmes may be eligible for the Student Grants Scheme. Students may be eligible to receive grant-aid towards their tuition fee, their student contribution charge or their maintenance costs. This scheme is administered by your local VEC and students on Higher Certificate (level 6) and Degree (level 7) who are eligible for a maintenance grant are paid directly into their bank accounts each month during the academic year. Honours Degree (level 8) students are paid in 3 instalments either by cheque or directly into their bank accounts depending on their awarding authority.
Students are advised to apply for the grant as early as possible as processing applications takes time. Applications are accepted from 31st May each year. The closing date for application forms is 31st August – Contact your local VEC directly if your application is late.
How do I qualify for the grant?
All candidates must have been resident in Ireland for 3 of the last 5 years prior to the date they start their course. Time spent on previous study may affect your eligibility for a grant. Specific criteria pertain to nationality/status in the country. Students’ applications are categorised within one of the following groups:
Candidate dependent on parent(s) or legal guardian
If you are under 23 years of age on 1 January 2011 then your student grant application will be assessed based on your parents’ or legal guardian’s income and your own income earned in the previous tax year (January to December 2010).
Mature students fall into one of the following groups:
- “Dependent” which means that the applicant is age 23 years or over on 1st January 2011, and has been residing with a parent(s) since October 2010. These applications will be means tested based on their parent’s reckonable income for the previous tax year (January to December 2010).
- “Independent” which means that the applicant meets the age criteria, has been resident outside the parental/family home since October 2010 and is therefore assessed on his/her own means. Documentary evidence is required to confirm independent residence. In the case of an independent mature student, the student’s income for the purposes of the means test shall be that of the student’s spouse, if applicable, and the student’s income, for the previous tax year, unless the student has ceased employment to commence study.
What if I qualify for Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)?
Students in receipt of BTEA and commencing a HETAC Level 6, Level 7 or Level 8 undergraduate course for the first time cannot hold the student maintenance grant. They can, however, be assessed for the Student Contribution Charge and any fees payable to colleges. They should apply to their local VEC to have their eligibility assessed.
How do I apply for the grant?
Applications are generally assessed on income for the tax year prior to the year of entry. Evidence of income can be gathered once the relevant tax year is over and applications can be made to your local VEC from the end of May. The Reckonable Income Limits for the ordinary rates of grant* for the period 1 January, 2010 to 31 December, 2010 (tax year 2010) are given in the table below:
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|
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|
|
Maintenance: |
Maintenance: |
Maintenance: |
Maintenance: |
Maintenance: |
Maintenance: |
Maintenance: |
|
No. Dependent Children |
|||||||
|
Less than 4 |
€22,703 |
€41,110 |
€42,235 |
€44,720 |
€47,205 |
€53,380 |
€55,920 |
|
4 – 7 |
€22,703 |
€45,165 |
€46,415 |
€49,145 |
€51,880 |
€56,460 |
€61,440 |
|
8 or more |
€22,703 |
€49,045 |
€50,400 |
€53,360 |
€56,320 |
€61,295 |
€66,700 |
|
|
|||||||
|
+ increment for each additional relevant person |
+€0 |
+€4,980 |
+€4,815 |
+€4,815 |
+€4,815 |
+€4,980 |
+€4,980 |
*To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance an applicant’s reckonable income on 31 December 2010 must include an eligible social protection or other recognised payment. Please visit www.studentfinance.ie for more details or contact your local VEC.
** In the 2011/12 academic year where the applicant and one or more relevant persons are attending an approved course of study, the reckonable income limits for each of the rates of grant in Table A may be increased by an additional increment as identified in Table B.
***See section on Tuition Fees below
What are the grant payments?
Annual rates of maintenance grant for the financial year 2011:
|
Type of Payment |
Non-Adjacent Rate |
Adjacent Rate |
|
Special Rate |
€6100 |
€2,445 |
|
Standard Rates: |
||
|
Full Maintenance |
€3,120 |
€1,250 |
|
Part Maintenance (75%) |
€2,340 |
€940 |
|
Part Maintenance (50%) |
€1560 |
€625 |
|
Part Maintenance (25%) |
€780 |
€315 |
Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)**
The BTEA is an educational opportunities scheme for unemployed people, lone parents and people with a disability who are getting certain payments from the Department of Social Protection and who meet certain age requirements. The allowance is payable to people who wish to pursue approved second or third-level education courses. BTEA is not an unemployment payment.
Participants receive a standard rate of payment which is not means tested so you may also work without affecting your payment. In addition to your weekly payment, you will also be entitled to an annual allowance towards the cost of your studies/education which is €500 for 2011/12.
You keep entitlements to any secondary benefits you already have under the Supplementary Allowance Scheme e.g. Christmas Bonus, Fuel Allowance, Diet Supplement. However, any increase in income may affect your Rent/Mortgage Supplement.
Students in receipt of BTEA and commencing a HETAC Level 6, Level 7 or Level 8 undergraduate course for the first time in 2011/12 cannot hold the student maintenance grant. They can, however, be assessed for the Student Contribution Charge and any fees payable to colleges. They should apply to their assessing authority to have their eligibility assessed.
Participants on a number of social welfare payments can enter full-time education and continue to stay on their current payment. Individuals on the following payments are NOT automatically required to transfer to the BTEA when returning to full-time education:
- One Parent Family Payment
- Disability Allowance
- Invalidity Pension
- Illness Benefit
When considering plans for returning to full-time education, persons on these payments can choose one of two options:
Option A: Transfer to BTEA
- receive a payment equivalent to the maximum standard rate of the current payment;
- receive a cost of education allowance, currently €500, for each academic year of the approved course;
- be ineligible for maintenance under the student grant scheme;
- apply to the student grant scheme for the Student Contribution Charge (and, where appropriate, tuition fees);
- be able to work part-time without it affecting your BTEA payment;
- in general, retain secondary benefits. Note: If you are in receipt of rent supplement or mortgage interest supplement and your income increases, you will be re-assessed for these benefits;
- If you have a medical card, you are entitled to retain it during your participation on BTEA.
Option B: Remain on one of the four payments outlined above
- retain existing payment;
- be entitled to apply for both maintenance and the Student Contribution Charge under the student grant scheme. (Note: applicants on social protection payments do not automatically qualify for a maintenance grant);
- be ineligible for a cost of education allowance;
- in general, forfeit rent supplement or mortgage interest supplement, where applicable, by reason of being in full-time education;
- If you have a medical card, you are entitled to retain it for a period of three years from the date of entry to full-time education, after which you will be re-assessed.
In relation to One Parent Family Payment, remember that changes in family circumstances during your participation in full-time education might affect your eligibility for the payment (e.g. a child no longer lives with you or reaches the age of 18 and is not in full-time education), whereas if you had transferred to BTEA your payment is guaranteed for the duration of your participation on an approved course. You should factor any such changes into your planning for income support during your course participation.
If you are in receipt of one of the social protection payments listed above, you should carefully assess what choice (i.e. staying on the payment OR transferring to BTEA) is the best one for you given your particular circumstances.
** As schemes and entitlements are subject to change, please check the most up to date information in relation to Back to Education Allowance with the Department of Social Protection.
Sports Scholarships
Students who demonstrate exceptional sporting ability/achievements may be eligible for a Sports Scholarship. Successful applicants must meet the minimum entry requirements for their chosen course. Selection of successful applicants will be by interview. Applications close in February/March each year. For information on ITT Sports Scholarships please contact Jennifer Healy, ITT Sports Officer at 066 7145644.
Tralee Credit Union Scholarships
Tralee Credit Union acknowledges through its Scholarships the challenges which students face while accessing and pursuing their course of study. Students who are eligible for the ESF Student Assistance Fund can opt to be considered for the scholarship as part of their application. Please see the section below titled ‘ESF Student Assistance Fund’ for more information. Tralee Credit Union offers two scholarships each year and the successful recipients will each receive €1000 over the academic year.
For more information on these awards, members should contact Tralee Credit Union directly.
ESF Student Assistance Fund
The fund is intended to tackle educational disadvantage by providing financial support to students who are experiencing severe financial difficulties, to enable them to fully benefit from their third-level studies. Application forms are available from September 13th at the Student Helpdesk (Room U117), Student Services building or Students’ Union. The application forms can also be downloaded from WebCT.
ESF Fund for Students with Disabilities
The Fund provides grants towards the provision of services and the purchase of equipment for Students with Disabilities attending courses in Third Level Institutions, for example, Personal Assistant, Sign Language Interpreter, Dyslexia Support, Note-taker, Transport, Additional tuition, Assistive Technology. Students with disabilities should contact Valerie Moore whose contact details are at the end of this page. Students with a Specific Learning Difficulty including Dyslexia or Learning Difference should contact Siobhan MacGarry at 066-7191678.
Childcare
Campus Kids is an on-campus crèche facility for student parents. For more information please visit www.campuskidskerry.com or contact the manager, Rose O’ Brien, on 066-7194769 or email dromtackercreche@gmail.com. Student parents experiencing financial difficulty may be eligible for a subvention. Please contact the Crèche Manager in the first instance. Students might also be eligible to apply for a contribution towards their childcare costs from the ESF Student Assistance Fund. Please contact the Access Officer or the Chaplain for more details.
Benevolent Fund
The Benevolent Fund is administered on a strictly confidential basis by the Chaplain. It is possible to obtain a grant or a short/long-term loan to help you overcome problems which may be causing academic or personal difficulties. For more information on the Benevolent Fund please contact the Institutes Chaplain, Kevin Sullivan at 066-7191674.
Tuition Fee
The tuition fee is a fee paid by the student to attend classes within the Institute. Under the Free Fees Initiative the Exchequer meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending approved third-level courses on a full-time basis. Eligible students are third-level students who are:
- pursuing a course on a full-time basis and are
- first-time undergraduates and
- hold E.U. nationality or official refugee status and
- have been ordinarily resident in an E.U. Member State for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third-level course.
Where fees are due, these fees may vary depending on the course, level of course and subjects taken.
Student Contribution Charge
The student contribution charge is the charge payable by students towards the cost of registration, examination and student services. This fee is reimbursed to students in receipt of a maintenance grant.
The student contribution charge is set down by the Department of Education and Science and is subject to change each July. For the Academic Year 2011/12 it has been set at €2000.
Other Possible Sources of Funding and Information
- Tom McBride Bursary Fund (For part-time students only who are residents of South Kerry). Contact Deirdre Fleming, Education and Training Co-ordinator, South Kerry Development Partnership at 066 9472724. Closing date: Friday, 23rd September 2011.
- Tralee Credit Union Educational Award (3rd level applicants, minimum length of course 2 years). Tel. 066 7122373. Closing date: 30th September 2011.
- Dan Kellegher Memorial Awards offers €1,500 each to two credit union members undertaking a post graduate course of study. The course undertaken must have the potential to enrich the lives of people within the community and must be at a post graduate level such as graduate diploma, a masters or doctorate. Contact Tralee Credit Union at 066 7122373. Closing date: 30th September 2011.
- The Kingdom Education Trust will be administered by North & East Kerry Development in 2011. This fund will be publicly advertised in the local papers in October 2011. Application forms will be available directly from NEKD. For further information contact Deirdre Kearin, Education Co-ordinator, NEKD on 066-7180190.
- If you are registered with the Department of Social Protection then contact your Jobs Facilitator at your local office.
- Local Employment Service (LES/OBAIR) clients are advised to make enquiries with their Mediator.
- If you are registered with FÁS, contact your Employment Services Officer.
- St Vincent de Paul. Contact your local office.
- Claiming Tax Relief on Fees. Visit www.revenue.ie or Freephone 1890 222 425
Visit www.studentfinance.ie and www.mabs.ie
Additional funding and finance information
If you would like more information on any of the supports and services at IT Tralee please contact:
Valerie Moore
Access Officer
Institute of Technology, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Email: valerie.moore@staff.ittralee.ie
Tel: 066-7191682
Fax: 066-7125711
Other useful contacts:
- Department of Social Protection, Tralee Tel: (066) 7149500
- Kerry Education Service/Kerry VEC Grants Section- Tel: (066) 7121612 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday)
Email: grants@cokerryed.ie Web: www.cokerryed.ie
