When you can’t afford to take money for granted

FOR many being offered a college place today, the next important step will be to see what financial supports might be available.

A record number of undergraduate students are expected to apply and qualify for maintenance grants this year because of the impact of the recession on employment levels and wages across all economic sectors.

The main grants system is funded by the Department of Education and supports students on higher education courses, mainly in the universities, colleges of education and institutes of technology. Assistance is also available, however, for those opting for further education or post-Leaving Certificate programmes which offer FETAC awards.

The higher education grants system is open to all students aged 17 or over on January 1 next and the local authority to which an application should be submitted depends on the kind of course being attended.

As a general rule of thumb, city and county councils will handle applications for grants from those attending universities, while institute of technology students should apply to their local city or county Vocational Education Committee.

The very useful studentfinance.ie website offers a quick-check method to determine the appropriate body if you know which course you will be studying. You can also print out the relevant forms, although they still have to be filled out manually. Other eligibility criteria include EU nationality or official refugee status, and having a household income below the limits set down by the Department of Education.

For the 2010/11 academic year, those limits go up to €51,380 for students in a families of four children or less, which means they will not have to pay the €1,500 college registration fee. Those in homes with on incomes below €47,205 may be eligible for increased supports, including exemption from the registration charge and maintenance support ranging from €330 to €1,300 for those studying within 15 miles or less of their home, and from €810 to €3,250 for those whose college is further away.

An additional top-up grant is available to those with an income below €22,703. It is worth €1,245 or €3,105, depending again on the distance from home to college. All the incomes assessed are those of the student themselves and their parents or guardians, except in the case of independent mature students aged 23 or over since last January.

As well as the above-mentioned website, Cork Youth Information Centre has produced a simple guide to the grants system with all these details and is offering assistance with form filling.

“This is an invaluable service to parents and mature students alike, many of whom find form-filling very off-putting, especially given the detail of the grant application forms and supporting literature supplied,” said centre co-ordinator Edel Stout.

The most important advice about completing the form is to do so and return it to the relevant grant awarding body by August 31.

The councils and VECs are already handling thousands of applications, so any coming in at this stage will go to the bottom of the pile and take longer to process.

The other vital aspect is that all the relevant documentation is sent in with the form (this may include P60 and P45 forms, or other data showing proof of earnings), as only those with the complete paperwork will be processed first.

The other major support for third level students is the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) payable by the Department of Social Protection. This effectively allows anybody receiving a welfare payment to retain it while undertaking a course, as long as they have been in receipt of payment for at least nine months.

The criteria has recently been widened (previously, recipients had to be getting payments for a year) but new BTEA applicants are no longer eligible for the maintenance grant system mentioned earlier, from this year on.

The BTEA is also available for those taking on a PLC course who have been receiving a welfare payment for three months or longer, while the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is open to those on PLC courses and operates on similar grounds.

The Fund for Students with Disabilities offers grants to students with serious sensory, physical and/or communicative disabilities, to provide help and equipment needed to pursue a third level or PLC course. Applications should be made through the student’s college.

Approved third-level colleges also administer a Student Assistance Fund which is in place for those who experience financial hardship after starting a third-level course.

* For detailed information on grant schemes, eligibility and links to downloadable application forms, visit www.studentfinance.ie