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Mature student help

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  • 24-09-2012 1:09am
    #1
    Wicklowandy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 801 ✭✭✭


    i've been unemployed since march and havent found any work yet.

    Im 32 and have been thinking of returning to college.

    I live near avoca, co wicklow and the wicklow county campus only seems to offer part time courses. From what ive been led to believe i cannot be funded by the dept social protection to do a part time course.

    To travel to dublin would cost approx €80 week, and would be financially prohibitive for me on a jobseekers / back to education payment. I think that means i cannot get a grant.

    Is there extra financial support available to help with travel costs as i live so far away. Or is there a way to get fees paid and retain benefits while studying part time at the local college?

    Thanks!


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    #2
    Heres Your Future
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭Heres Your Future


    hi andy, if you are considering studying at third level and want to do so part time take a look at the courses on www.springboardcourses.ie, these courses provide industry specific qualifications in sectors that have been identified as having good employment potential in the near future. The courses are part time and free to social welfare participants. I dont know if there are any running in Wicklow however.
    you are right that if you are in receipt of a jobseekers payment and return to full time education then you wont get the maintenance grant. if accepted onto a course you can apply to the student assistance fund in the insitution you are attending. you could also try st vincent de paul, aside from that you might need to think about trying to carpool or student travel to cut down on costs, otherwise bite the bullet and move to dublin for the duration of the course!


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    #3
    Wicklowandy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 801 ✭✭✭Wicklowandy


    Thank you, have looked into springboard, but nearest is ucd, approx 50 miles away.

    I'd love to move to dublin for a couple of years, but my wife and children mighten like it!

    Doesent seem to be fair to treat someone living close to college and muself living in a rural area the same for grants etc.


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    #4
    Heres Your Future
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭Heres Your Future


    you can get a grant and continue to receive social welfare if you are being paid as a qualified adult on someones elses claim andy, i dont know if your wife is working or not but if not could she make a claim in her name and put you as the qualified adult on that? given that a college in dublin is more than 45km away you would be entitled to the higher rate of grant aswell so depending on your means etc you could be looking at a grant of around €5900 if you qualify for the full amount as well as the €130 a week or thereabouts you get as a QA. that might soften the blow of the travel costs a bit. obviously there is a lot of 'ifs' in there but just a suggestion


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    #5
    Maldesu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,416 ✭✭✭Maldesu


    I've a few friends from Wicklow who did an Access Course in UCD (part time evening) and are now in the 2nd year of their degree. I think that BTEA will cover you for Access, but someone else might be able to clarify that.
    If you are on BTEA you can also apply to SUSI to pay for the fees section, but it will depend on your circumstances to get it.

    If you do you can get the Student Travel Card which will give you discounts on bus tickets (about 10%). I'm not sure if Dublin Bus goes out as far as you (think the 145 does), but you can get a 30 Rambler for about €86 and it doesn't have to be used in consecutive days.


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    #6
    Moon Indigo
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭Moon Indigo


    Not sure what the situation is with a family but I am currently studying as a mature student. On Back to Education you receive 188 euro per week (highest level of social welfare payment) and you can apply to get your fee's paid. For me this means no fee and 188 a week and 300 book allowance once off payment per academic year. I also live rural but if your determined to return to education or it is something you really want to do then I recommend going for it.

    There is sometimes buses that run from areas during the academic year, other students who may be travelling to the same college/direction, car share with if you find someone else. If all else fails and it does cost 80 a week travel there is always the student travel card which does not take much off but its something and buying your tickets online and weekly also save a tiny bit.

    There are ways and it will be tight and I do know its easy to say but it can be done and at the end of it you will hopefully have improved aspects of both your education and your personal self. In short if you want to do it and think it is possible then I say have a really close look at it. Check out www.studentfinance.ie as well as Qualifax. Best of luck :)


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