American student finance help

ramshock

Hello,
Im moving back home with the wife and kid (county down) and the wife has to take a PGCE course to be able to teach in Ireland north and south yet she isn't eligible for a loan since she hasnt lived there for 3 years. She is American but has her Irish citizenship through me. Does anyone know what options she has available? We tried looking at Stafford loans but there seems to be some confusion pertaining to PGCE's status as a Masters level program.

Can anyone offer some advice it would be much appreciated.
She is interviewing in July for a place at the University of Ulster at Coleraine!

go raibh maith agat

ramshock

thanks for the help peeps :mad:

redout

If its University of Ulster then thats the UK so most on here probably wont know the answer to your question and obviously different rules apply. I am certain Irish students can still get some sort of assistance for studying in the UK but not sure what it is. Check here http://www.studentfinance.ie/

pow wow

The PGCE funding in NI is usually residency based, so the citizenship isn't really an issue. Your best bet is to contact the Education and Library Board which covers where you'll be living and explain the situation - they'll advise on what state funding, if any, there is.

If you were resident in the Republic of Ireland in the October of the year prior to application she may have more luck with funding (grants system extends to 32 counties at postgrad level), however NI aren't quite so generous to their own students.

Student Finance NI have an online entitlements assessor thingy which may help at http://www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/calculator/studentfinancecalculator/1011/

ramshock

thanks