Dont think i can afford to go to college!

smiley1237

Hello fellow Boardie's.
I hope to God someone can give me a bit of advice regards this.
I spent the last year traveling up and down to nuig as I was studying on the foundation science/engineering course they run every year with Gmit.
I did well on the course and as a result gained an automatic place on the undenom science course for the coming year.

When the offers came out there in early July, I accepted it of course willy nilly even though I was a little concerned about how I was going to pay for it all and there's just such a small window in which you must decide whether to accept or not. Four days or something.

Well now unfortunately it looks like i just wont be able to go. I just don't have the cash saved, simple as that.
I didn't get a chance to save anything the past year either with college, bills, etc and so I find myself at the first port of call, boards.
Said I try here because there is always great advice to be had and contacting the admissions office at nuig seemed very final anyway.

What I'm wondering now is like an optimistic dope, I accepted the offer but how can I defer now? I have read time after time the last few days 'do not accept the offer if wishing to defer'.

I also applied for the maintenance grant and all that paperwork has been done too, just waiting to hear back if I was approved or not. I didn't apply for BTEA yet as I didn't see the point of it just it.

It is a shame as I was really looking forward to going and getting some kind of career going for myself at long last and then there's also the family/friends situation. They will be so disappointed, I know they will.
They were delighted, even more so than i, I'd say, when I got my results a couple of months back and got A's in almost everything, (B+ in physics dragging me down) :P This from someone who couldn't pass OL maths in the LC back in the day.

So what are my options? Can I defer my place/grant(if approved)?
I know if I even attempt to go in September I will likely end up dropping out shortly after, regardless of grades etc.

Hope somebody can help
Thanks guys in advance,
Smiley

shawki

How do you not see the point of BTEA?

It pays more than the maintenance grant

It pays you during the college year while allowing you to work part time

And if your unable to get work during the summer you can still claim job seekers which you would not be able to do as regular student

If you get BTEA and the fees grant with decent part time work, You definitely clear €300 a week with just books and living/travelling expenses to pay for

smiley1237

Yeah, I meant didn't apply for it yet at don't know whether I will be attending college. Not because its not worth it. I know its the better option.

Annasopra

BTEA is the better option

SUSI grant applications close on August 1st

You could defer a place for a year but you would have to reapply for a grant

sugoo69

So From reading this I think I would be correct to say that if you are getting a Social Welfare payment you are better off applying for BTEA tha the grant? I am on illness benefit and am just about to submit applications for both BTEA & The grant and take which ever one gives me more options. If I get BTEA will I have to pay registration fees (I have no money!!!) Very confused and the information on the social welfare website is out of date - refered to Education Allowance one off payemtn which has since be stopped. - Cant get the information from the very website of the government department responsible for the payments ARRRRGGH

shawki

There is two sections of the grant Fees(2500) and maintaince. You can still get your fees paid if your on BTEA but you can't get maintaince.

If the college year is 38 weeks, you'd get €7144 over the college year which is lot more than the maintaince grant

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/back_to_education/back_to_education_allowance.html

sugoo69

Shawki - many thanks for doing the maths for me, i was getting into a tizzy and couldnt see the wood for the trees