Student Grant

PictureFrame · 30-09-2012 9:43pm

Does anyone have any idea what the hell is happening with these grants? I'm literally at the pin of my collar with finances at the minute and there seems to be no steps in any direction with SUSI. I'm really getting worried about the financial aspect of college at this stage. We deserve our grants by now if we were entitled to them, hell most of us are back 2 weeks or more..

:mad:

I'm actually raging! Such an awful system if you ask me.. :rolleyes:

cloud493 · 30-09-2012 9:45pm

People on my course said the end of October.

PictureFrame · 30-09-2012 9:49pm

cloud493 wrote: »

People on my course said the end of October.

That's a long time away yet.. *scrapes at pennies to survive another 4 weeks of peasantry..

cloud493 · 30-09-2012 9:51pm

20p noodles are great :rolleyes:

oB1 · 01-10-2012 9:50pm

PictureFrame wrote: »

Does anyone have any idea what the hell is happening with these grants? I'm literally at the pin of my collar with finances at the minute and there seems to be no steps in any direction with SUSI. I'm really getting worried about the financial aspect of college at this stage. We deserve our grants by now if we were entitled to them, hell most of us are back 2 weeks or more..

:mad:

I'm actually raging! Such an awful system if you ask me.. :rolleyes:

Couldn't agree more! - I feel a strongly worded letter to SUSI, or even better the finance minister brewing after i eventually get it!

it is, hands down, THEE worst experience i have had when applying for grants.

dubdub123 · 01-10-2012 11:01pm

Are the students unions not raising flags on this? Has anyone on this site actually received that they are eligible for the grant AND the amount to be paid ? Whatever about the date of payment, they should at least be able to provide that information.

paperclip2 · 02-10-2012 9:18am

RobertHopkins wrote: »

Couldn't agree more! - I feel a strongly worded letter to SUSI, or even better the finance minister brewing after i eventually get it!

it is, hands down, THEE worst experience i have had when applying for grants.

The Education Minister would be the right one to send it to as its within his brief. He was extolling the virtue of SUSI at an IVEA conference a couple of weeks ago

Hi email is on his web page: http://www.ruairiquinn.ie/

spurious · 02-10-2012 4:35pm

paperclip2 wrote: »

The Education Minister would be the right one to send it to as its within his brief. He was extolling the virtue of SUSI at an IVEA conference a couple of weeks ago

Hi email is on his web page: http://www.ruairiquinn.ie/

He would also have been the one to sanction how many people they employed.
In fairness, I believe the people at SUSI are doing their best, but you can only spread yourself so thin.

You also have to factor in applicants forgetting to put their number on documentation which is happening.

paperclip2 · 02-10-2012 5:56pm

spurious wrote: »

He would also have been the one to sanction how many people they employed.
In fairness, I believe the people at SUSI are doing their best, but you can only spread yourself so thin.

You also have to factor in applicants forgetting to put their number on documentation which is happening.

Which is why I think passing feedback to his office is better than landing it on SUSI.

I do agree its a tough job assessing all of the application info and making the decisions. The legislation they have to use is a nightmare to decipher especially for someone who may be entirely new to this. There seems to be deficits in the number of staff, the level of training received, even their information management systems seem to really need improvement. I know some teething trouble was to be expected but I do think its going beyond what one might have expected at this stage.

AlexDublin · 02-10-2012 9:48pm

spurious wrote: »

He would also have been the one to sanction how many people they employed.
In fairness, I believe the people at SUSI are doing their best, but you can only spread yourself so thin.

You also have to factor in applicants forgetting to put their number on documentation which is happening.

maybe SUSI are doing their best but in my opinion that is not satisfactory. Maybe they need more staff? More training? I dont know exactly. But how could they not have forseen the amount of work it would be to process every single application form for a first year student in Ireland.

Excuses are b**lsh*t. I want to know if I am eligible or not. Its not a lot to ask for almost 3 weeks into my course. I sent my application and supporting documents in promptly and correctly so they need to do their part.

dubdub123 · 03-10-2012 11:12pm

Totally agree with AlexDublin.. The theory behind centralizing the system is a good one and will in time reap benefits, but processing all applicants through an untried system does not seem to make sense. Previously applicants were going directly through the councils.. For the first year a smaller pool of people (say particular counties) should have been moved to SUSI to iron out any issues with the system, and over time all counties moved over to it. It really is not a lot to ask to let students know whether they are eligible or not. Whether the staff are doing their best or not is irrelevant to students who are struggling to pay out for food/ travel and possibly accommodation.

sloejoe · 06-10-2012 8:37pm

Hi all

Not too happy with the susi helpdesk. 2 in our house applied for grants both circumstances exactly the same forms filled in exactly the same. When susi sent for the back up documents wanted different docs for each application. I rang because I knew they needed the same backup docs. Was told send what ever you think yourself. So sent exactly the same for both all that they asked for plus the missing ones from each application. Now they have come back and are looking for the same documents I sent for one of the applications. Each was clearly marked with the reference no and sent in seperate envelopes. When you ring the helpdesk and they can't answer the question you ask they say can I help you with anything else. I they need more people on the desk with a supervisor to hand so that they can run questions by them when needed. It really is a waste of time ringing.

I have spoken to parents of first year students who are thinking they may have to pull students out of college they are worried they wont' get grants. It was bad last year but much worse this year.

Nazata · 10-10-2012 5:47pm

Are others still waiting on the grant? Has anyone received confirmation recently?
I need my fees paid before I can access any of my lecture notes or my uni's libraries, but I'm still waiting on SUSI to get back to me (and have been waiting for months).

Witchie · 10-10-2012 6:23pm

still waiting too. :-(

dubdub123 · 10-10-2012 10:41pm

My daughter is still waiting. Had to fax her the letter the other week which said she'd gotten through first phase and that they would be going through figures etc.. Thankfully the college accepted that so she could register. But nothing at all. Send back in all the paperwork good few weeks ago now. The first payment is supposed to be in October and she doesn't even have confirmation of how much. Rang SUSI help desk a few times but they will not commit to anything. Has anyone heard back at this stage?

NegativeCreep · 10-10-2012 11:09pm

Has anyone had to send off a course acceptance letter yet? I haven't been asked for it yet.

keredern · 10-10-2012 11:15pm

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Has anyone had to send off a course acceptance letter yet? I haven't been asked for it yet.

Sent my son's the other day...on the advice of the agent I spoke with!

His application is at the 'assessment' stage so no decision yet!

LoonyLovegood · 10-10-2012 11:17pm

My roommate got asked for the course acceptance letter, but I haven't yet. I need that grant so badly it's not even funny. I can't keep asking my parents for money and I've sent out so many CVs.

I know the grants are often late, but when they state a specific day that you will be paid, they should have all the applications in. There's 70,000 started in CAO courses. They should have, on the high side, estimated that 65,000 would submit grant applications. It should only take a read through of the application to assess if they appear eligible. Send out the form for the documents. Receive the documents back, and see if they match up. If they don't, have they put in a reason why? If they match, GIVE THEM THE BLOODY LETTER SAYING THEY GET THE GRANT.

Ugh. It really can be that simple.

NegativeCreep · 10-10-2012 11:21pm

keredern wrote: »

NegativeCreep wrote: »

Has anyone had to send off a course acceptance letter yet? I haven't been asked for it yet.

Sent my son's the other day...on the advice of the agent I spoke with!

His application is at the 'assessment' stage so no decision yet!

I don't even know where to get one :L tis a joke this Susi business.

keredern · 10-10-2012 11:54pm

NegativeCreep wrote: »

I don't even know where to get one :L tis a joke this Susi business.

Here's a link for you!

http://www.cdvec.ie/getattachment/Student-Supports/Grants/Final-Course-Acceptance-Form.pdf.aspx

GarIT · 11-10-2012 6:13pm

I finally got mine today

Gerard93 · 11-10-2012 7:19pm

I finally got mine today

Did u apply through SUSI, if so when did you send in the application - Thanks

cloud493 · 11-10-2012 7:21pm

GarIT wrote: »

I finally got mine today

Do you mean the grant or the asking for a course acceptance letter?

GarIT · 11-10-2012 7:23pm

Gerard93 wrote: »

Did u apply through SUSI, if so when did you send in the application - Thanks

Within an hour of the applications going online, so I'd say I'm one of the first.

cloud493 wrote: »

Do you mean the grant or the asking for a course acceptance letter?

I get a letter saying I've gotten the grant and they will start paying it once I give them my bank details.

Avox · 11-10-2012 7:39pm

GarIT wrote: »

Within an hour of the applications going online, so I'd say I'm one of the first.

I get a letter saying I've gotten the grant and they will start paying it once I give them my bank details.

You're the same as me, applied within the first hour, but due to their mistakes (losing my documents three times), I'm still waiting..

Laura.12 · 11-10-2012 9:43pm

Got confirmation of my grant today.

PictureFrame · 11-10-2012 10:08pm

I got a letter too, but apparently i'm in Cork IT studying Engineering. Although I submitted my course acceptance clearly as Psychology NUI Maynooth (MH106)..

Also, I qualified for a full grant and apparently it's only 2375e? Is this right? I though it was like 5000? :O.. I can't live off 63e p/w with travel! :L

Dwellingdweller · 11-10-2012 11:13pm

Laura.12 wrote: »

Got confirmation of my grant today.

PictureFrame wrote: »

I got a letter too, but apparently i'm in Cork IT studying Engineering. Although I submitted my course acceptance clearly as Psychology NUI Maynooth (MH106)..

Also, I qualified for a full grant and apparently it's only 2375e? Is this right? I though it was like 5000? :O.. I can't live off 63e p/w with travel! :L

When did ye guys send in your documents?

cloud493 · 11-10-2012 11:21pm

Do they give it to you as a lump sum? I thought it was monthly installments.

Dwellingdweller · 11-10-2012 11:25pm

What the mother of f**k. Logged into my account there online to check my status and it says 'no applications have been made', I got an email from them 2 weeks ago asking me to send on the course acceptance form, which I did. If they've magically managed to lose all my details I'm going to be seriously f**ked off.

And unsurprised

*Student Grant*

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Student Grant