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Mature Student Grant for Distance Learning?

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  • 23-02-2012 12:14am
    #1
    Boring username
    Closed Accounts Posts: 679 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I just have a quick question regarding Distance Learning:

    Does anyone know if the Mature Student Grant is available for Open University/Distance Learning Courses? I was on the phone earlier to the Welfare Office but they weren't too sure. I know it must be a full time course though to qualify.

    I will contact the head office if I can't get an answer here, but I said I would chance it first before I have to go on a wild goose chase trying to get a simple answer from a Government Department..

    Has anybody any experience in this situation?


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    #2
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,062 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Boring username wrote: »
    Hi,

    I just have a quick question regarding Distance Learning:

    Does anyone know if the Mature Student Grant is available for Open University/Distance Learning Courses? I was on the phone earlier to the Welfare Office but they weren't too sure. I know it must be a full time course though to qualify.

    I will contact the head office if I can't get an answer here, but I said I would chance it first before I have to go on a wild goose chase trying to get a simple answer from a Government Department..

    Has anybody any experience in this situation?

    I am fairly sure that a distance learning course would not be considered full time and that the open university is not on the list of approved institutions where you get grants.

    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
    Digitaljunkie
    Registered Users Posts: 349 ✭✭Digitaljunkie


    mango salsa wrote: »
    I am fairly sure that a distance learning course would not be considered full time and that the open university is not on the list of approved institutions where you get grants.

    Yep your bang on, no grant aid. Some educational agencies work through FAS so if you are on a payment you get to keep it and all your course materials are paid for as well.


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    #4
    Boring username
    Closed Accounts Posts: 679 ✭✭✭Boring username


    mango salsa wrote: »
    I am fairly sure that a distance learning course would not be considered full time and that the open university is not on the list of approved institutions where you get grants.


    I see, is this for certain or is it just your opinion? It would seem like a logical thing to have a distance learning option, not everybody is in a position to attend a college/university, especially in rural areas...


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    #5
    paperclip2
    Registered Users Posts: 2,280 ✭✭✭paperclip2


    Mango Salsa and Digital Junkie are on the money to be honest.

    The maintenance grant and fee grants have not been available for Distance or On-line learning, nor are they recognised for BTEA purposes. However at a training day for AEGI information Officers last Summer the DES said that there was scope to cover part-time courses in the grants but that this would not be implemented until there was funding available to do it. I've heard nothing more on the subject since then and any attempt to get further clarification has not be successful.

    Full details of the colleges and courses currently covered are available in the Student Support Regulations 2011:

    http://www.studentfinance.ie/downloads/Student%20Support%20Regulations%202011.pdf


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    #6
    Digitaljunkie
    Registered Users Posts: 349 ✭✭Digitaljunkie


    Boring username wrote: »
    I see, is this for certain or is it just your opinion? It would seem like a logical thing to have a distance learning option, not everybody is in a position to attend a college/university, especially in rural areas...

    The course you are applying for must be an approved full time course and HEI for a student grant. DL's don't qualify. As I said above if your DL is approved by FAS (ce scheme) or what ever their going to call it now, you can keep a payment.

    paperclip2 just got in their before me............


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    #7
    ronano
    Registered Users Posts: 3,142 ✭✭✭ronano


    A variation of the back to education allowance is accepted under the Education, Training and Development Option (ET&D)
    (Retention of Jobseekers Allowance/Jobseekers Benefit) for open university



    Back to Education Allowance
    The Department of Social and Family Affairs’ Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides a range of education and training options from which an unemployed person can choose, or be directed to the most appropriate education or pathway for his/her needs.

    Because our part-time courses are recognised by HETAC in Ireland, two options under this programme may be of further support to OU students who are seeking or claiming Jobseekers Allowance. These are respectively:

    The Education, Training and Development Option
    The Part-Time Education Option
    For further information, contact the Deciding Officer at your local Social Welfare Office or go to http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Forms/Documents/bte1.pdf

    http://www.welfare.ie/en/operationalguidelines/pages/bte_all.aspx


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    #8
    ronano
    Registered Users Posts: 3,142 ✭✭✭ronano


    also should add for people using the above

    1. dont get fees paid by gov. (open uni have a student loan,pay by the week sorta scheme tho)
    2. You cant work while on the 2 schemes above and you have to be 'available for work'


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