Starting College next year... Is it possible?

d.anthony

I'm an Irish citizen but moved to Scotland this time last year for health issues. All is fine now and I want to go back to college next year in Ireland. I'm 23 now so I would be a mature student.

What I'm wondering is, is it possible for me to do this, I've heard you can get allowances, grants, etc. but not sure what the truth is.

Can anyone point me in the way of any advice?

Thanks:)

kob29

You need to decide what you want to apply for and apply to the cao. There are student grants for people who meet the financial eligibility requirements, look up www.studentfinance.ie
College places are in great demand at the moment and there is heavy competition amongst mature students so you would need a clear plan of action and back ups.

Annasopra

d.anthony wrote: »

I'm an Irish citizen but moved to Scotland this time last year for health issues. All is fine now and I want to go back to college next year in Ireland. I'm 23 now so I would be a mature student.

What I'm wondering is, is it possible for me to do this, I've heard you can get allowances, grants, etc. but not sure what the truth is.

Can anyone point me in the way of any advice?

Thanks:)

Yes you can - you don't need to apply through the CAO if you are applying as a mature student - you apply separately - The grants are not amazing rates - also you need to be careful about where you are living

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7542/check-if-you-have-lived-in-an-area-long-enough/index.html

The residency requirement for the student grant is as follows:

The applicant shall have been ordinarily resident in the State for at least three out of the last five years immediately preceding the date on which a year of study on an approved course in an approved institution commences.

For example, if the next year of study on your chosen course commences on 20 September 2010, by the time this date comes around you will need to have been ordinarily resident in the State for at least three years in the period since 20 September 2005.

d.anthony

Johnnymcg wrote: »

Yes you can - you don't need to apply through the CAO if you are applying as a mature student - you apply separately - The grants are not amazing rates - also you need to be careful about where you are living

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7542/check-if-you-have-lived-in-an-area-long-enough/index.html

Thanks for the info guys. Lived full-time in Ireland from Oct 2005 until Oct 2009 so I guess that should be ok.

So if I don't apply through the CAO, where do I apply?

paperclip2

Johnnymcg wrote: »

Yes you can - you don't need to apply through the CAO if you are applying as a mature student - you apply separately -

Not necessarily true. You may have to apply to CAO depending on the college you want to attend. For instance if you wish to apply to Trinity, NUI Maynooth, DCU or the Pontifical University of Maynooth you will need to apply to both the institution concerned AND the CAO.

Mature applicants applying on the basis of mature years only, must apply directly to the following HEI's

• Church of Ireland College of Education
• Colaiste Mhuire Marino
• Mary Immaculate College Limerick
• St Pats Drumcondra
• University of Limerick
• National College of Ireland
• All Hallows College
• American College Dublin
• Dublin Business School
• Grafton College of Management Sciences
• Griffith College
• IBAT College Swords
• Independent Colleges Dublin
• National Counselling and Psychotherapy Institute.

The best advice is to make a list of the courses you wish to apply for and then contact the admissions dept or Mature Student officer in the colleges concerned to find out the correct application procedure. For the majority it will be through the CAO. You have plenty of time now to do so, the main closing date for application is Feb 1st 2011. There is more information on this in the current CAO handbook on page 6. You can read the handbook on the CAO website www.cao.ie.
Good luck OP.

Annasopra

d.anthony wrote: »

Thanks for the info guys. Lived full-time in Ireland from Oct 2005 until Oct 2009 so I guess that should be ok.

Grant rules change from year to year so there is no guarantee