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any advice on applying as mature student grant for postgrad?

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  • 10-08-2010 6:11pm
    #1
    mimirose
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭


    Hey,

    I am trying desperately to cobble the money together for a research masters that i have applied for. I was never entitled to the grant as an undergraduate because I started my degree at 21 and so deemed a dependant on my parents. I am now 25 and have been living away from home for some years but they are claiming that I am still classed as a dependant because I am continuing on with from my degree. My option is to leave my education for 3 years and come back to it then. Has anyone ever heard of any exemptions in relation to this? Any advice on this matter would be appreciated! :)


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    #2
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,067 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    mimirose wrote: »
    Hey,

    I am trying desperately to cobble the money together for a research masters that i have applied for. I was never entitled to the grant as an undergraduate because I started my degree at 21 and so deemed a dependant on my parents. I am now 25 and have been living away from home for some years but they are claiming that I am still classed as a dependant because I am continuing on with from my degree. My option is to leave my education for 3 years and come back to it then. Has anyone ever heard of any exemptions in relation to this? Any advice on this matter would be appreciated! :)
    when you were 21 were you dependent on your parents?

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #3
    mimirose
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭mimirose


    because i was 21 they classified me as dependant on my parents yeah!


  • Options
    #4
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,067 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    mimirose wrote: »
    because i was 21 they classified me as dependant on my parents yeah!

    Then unfortunately this 3 year rule does kick in then - It's only a new rule introduced this year

    You have the following options

    1 apply based on your parents income
    2 wait out the three years
    3 Try somehow to come up with funding - local partnerships (some limited funding possible), student assistance fund and maybe credit union loan

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #5
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,067 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Oh and you should contact your local TDs, USI, The Minister for Education, Education Spokespersons such as Fergus O Dowd and Ruairi Quinn to complain

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Options
    #6
    mimirose
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14 ✭mimirose


    Thanks for the options the parents one is out because they are above the threshold but they are in their sixties so wouldnt take that money from them, the loan option is out because of the loans to get through the undergraduate degree but going contact my local td to try and get some help to sort the mess out! thanks for the advice tho!


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  • Options
    #7
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,067 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    mimirose wrote: »
    Thanks for the options the parents one is out because they are above the threshold but they are in their sixties so wouldnt take that money from them, the loan option is out because of the loans to get through the undergraduate degree but going contact my local td to try and get some help to sort the mess out! thanks for the advice tho!
    go to the drop in clinics of all your local TDs

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #8
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,067 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    FYI see this


    http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/he_heg_scheme.pdf?language=EN

    "mature candidate" means a candidate who is at least 23 years of age on the 1st of January of the year of entry or re-entry to an approved course;

    "independent mature candidate" means a mature candidate who was not ordinarily resident with his/her parents or legal guardian from 1 October, 2009;

    "re-entering" means entering as a mature candidate following a break of at least three years, having previously been a candidate dependent on parents or legal guardian, and having previously attended a course approved for the purposes of the Higher Education Grants [HEG] Scheme or the Vocational Education Committees [VEC] Scholarship Scheme

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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