Alternative courses, grants and deferrals prove a worry

ALTERNATIVE course options, grant applications and deferring college places are among the biggest concerns for students and their families checking third-level offers this morning.

Rose Tully, co-ordinator of the National Parents Council Primary helpline which took more than 1,000 queries after last week’s Leaving Certificate results, said it is important for all CAO applicants to think carefully about the next step regardless of whether they have received an offer or not.

“Those who did not get their first choice should look, maybe, at the Post-Leaving Certificate course options, many of these offer a backdoor entry to some third-level courses after a year, or, if they are just five or 10 points short, they might want to think about appealing a grade and arranging to view a script, which has to be applied for by tomorrow,” she said.