free fees initiative?

queenie154

Do all undergraduate students qualify for the free fees initiative? Is susi anything to do with the free fees initiative? On susi alone, I do not qualify for paid tuition fees but after reading online about the free fees initiative,I am a bit confused...help please!

FatherlyNick

To qualify for free fees, your family's income has to be below a certain level.
Read more here: citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/fees.html#l00630

queenie154

So the free fees initiative is connected to susi? It says on your link that there is no application for free fees,sorry if I'm being stupid:(

FatherlyNick

There is no real application as such. You are either eligible or you're not. You can see the points you neet to satisfy in that link I gave you. Even if you don't qualify for full free fees, you might only need to pay a certain percentage of the fees. [Unless your household income is too damn high]

queenie154

FatherlyNick wrote: »

There is no real application as such. You are either eligible or you're not. You can see the points you neet to satisfy in that link I gave you. Even if you don't qualify for full free fees, you might only need to pay a certain percentage of the fees. [Unless your household income is too damn high]

Where can I find the household income limits? I do not qualify for susi because I have older brothers and sisters working in my house and their income is included although I assure you,their income will not help me pay these college tuition fees.I was unsure whether the free fees initiative would pay my tuition fees regardless of this.

FatherlyNick

This should have all you need: citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html#l62fd2

FatherlyNick

This should have all you need: citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html#l62fd2
Also this: studentfinance.ie/mp9556/check-reckonable-income-limits/index.html

queenie154

But it says on the link you posted that you can qualify for all or part of the student tuition fees but not if you already qualify for free fees under the free fees initiative. When I research the free fees initiative,it mentions nothing of income.

FatherlyNick

queenie154 wrote: »

But it says on the link you posted that you can qualify for all or part of the student tuition fees but not if you already qualify for free fees under the free fees initiative. When I research the free fees initiative,it mentions nothing of income.

Read through this page more carefully: citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html

queenie154

A fee grant can cover any of the following 3 elements:

All or part of the student contribution
Costs of essential field trips
All or part of a student’s tuition fees (unless covered by the Free Fees Scheme)
In general, if you qualify for a maintenance grant you will qualify for all elements of the fee grant. However, you will not get the tuition element of a fee grant if you already qualify for free tuition fees.
I did read it.it said this.

Annasopra

FatherlyNick wrote: »

To qualify for free fees, your family's income has to be below a certain level.
Read more here: citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/fees.html#l00630

What are you on about?

Free tuition fees are not based on income!

queenie154

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

What are you on about?

Free tuition fees are not based on income!

Really?I know that susi take your income into account but I did think that a persons first undergraduate course tuition fees were paid for:/

XxMCRxBabyxX

I'm afraid that FatherlyNick has it wrong.

The free fees scheme is what most students are on i.e. no tuition fees just the €2750 (?) Contribution charge. For those who are eligible, SUSI will pay for that charge. Everyone else pays it.

Those who aren't covered by the free fees scheme are usually international students or those doing a year/degree for the second time

TLDR: Student contribution /= tuition fees

Annasopra

queenie154 wrote: »

Really?I know that susi take your income into account but I did think that a persons first undergraduate course tuition fees were paid for:/

No.

Free tuition fees have nothing to do with susi.

There are 3 types of fee

Tuition fee: These are free in most cases once you meet certain criteria
Student contribution fee: SUSI will pay this if you are eligible for a grant
College levy; The student pays this

queenie154

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

No.

Free tuition fees have nothing to do with susi.

There are 3 types of fee

Tuition fee: These are free in most cases once you meet certain criteria
Student contribution fee: SUSI will pay this if you are eligible for a grant
College levy; The student pays this

Really? See I am eligible for susi to pay all my student contribution but only 50% of my tuition fees. Will susi still grant me the student contribution if I am entitled to the free fees anyway?

XxMCRxBabyxX

queenie154 wrote: »

Really? See I am eligible for susi to pay all my student contribution but only 50% of my tuition fees. Will susi still grant me the student contribution if I am entitled to the free fees anyway?

SUSI don't pay for tuition fees. Are you sure that you have read that correctly? If you are eligible for a grant your student contribution will be paid and you won't have any tuition fees to be paid.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Is the 50% that you are referring to maintenance?

queenie154

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

SUSI don't pay for tuition fees. Are you sure that you have read that correctly? If you are eligible for a grant your student contribution will be paid and you won't have any tuition fees to be paid.

Well on the susi website, it said I qualified for 50% tuition fees,100%student contribution and my field trips are not payable. That's the reason I thought I had to pay 50% tuition fees.

Annasopra

queenie154 wrote: »

Really? See I am eligible for susi to pay all my student contribution but only 50% of my tuition fees. Will susi still grant me the student contribution if I am entitled to the free fees anyway?

Yes

queenie154

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

Is the 50% that you are referring to maintenance?

No,maintenance also isn't payable by susi for me.

Annasopra

Ok


Sorry

There is a bit of confusion here.

In some cases where a student is not eligible for free tuition fees (under the free fees scheme) then SUSI can pay them.

In this case as I see it

1 You are eligible for free tuition fees
2 You are eligible for a SUSI grant to pay 100% of your student contribution fee

XxMCRxBabyxX

Tbh you have me confused now!

A SUSI grant will pay for the student contribution. Most students will not have any tuition fees to pay for to the free fees initiative. Depending on the type of grant awarded, sine students will also receive maintenance cheques during the year.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Ok


Sorry

There is a bit of confusion here.

In some cases where a student is not eligible for free tuition fees (under the free fees scheme) then SUSI can pay them.

In this case as I see it

1 You are eligible for free tuition fees
2 You are eligible for a SUSI grant to pay 100% of your student contribution fee

This looks like the right answer! Too many words confused me! :-)

Annasopra

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

Tbh you have me confused now!

A SUSI grant will pay for the student contribution. Most students will not have any tuition fees to pay for to the free fees initiative. Depending on the type of grant awarded, sine students will also receive maintenance cheques during the year.

Its quite simple. The OP is eligible for a fee grant which covers 100% student contribution but not maintenance. See the part on fee grants here;


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html


He or She does noy have to worry about tuition fees as they are covered under the free fees initiative and the OP claims to be eligible for that.

queenie154

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

This looks like the right answer! Too many words confused me! :-)

Okay I think I understand now, i just couldn't comprehend why susi would say they will pay 50% of my tuition fees if they are already paid for me...but I understand now that not everybody is entitled to free fees.thanks!

XxMCRxBabyxX

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Its quite simple. The OP is eligible for a fee grant which covers 100% student contribution but not maintenance. See the part on fee grants here;


http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/education/third_level_education/fees_and_supports_for_third_level_education/maintenance_grant_schemes_for_students_on_third_level_courses.html


He or She does noy have to worry about tuition fees as they are covered under the free fees initiative and the OP claims to be eligible for that.

Sorry, I've got Equity Law swimming around my head and I seemed to be unable to comprehend that it is possible for SUSI to cover tuition fees. I've always known it as they don't. I'm not always the sharpest. ;-)

angela1711

Anyone knows how much is the student leavy ?

queenie154

angela1711 wrote: »

Anyone knows how much is the student leavy ?

100 euro for nuim

mickstupp

God knows what it actually gets spent on though, yet to see a breakdown.

FatherlyNick

mickstupp wrote: »

God knows what it actually gets spent on though, yet to see a breakdown.

Same here. I heard a portion of it goes to the SU.

Annasopra

mickstupp wrote: »

God knows what it actually gets spent on though, yet to see a breakdown.

Usually for other colleges such as ucd and tcd construction costs for gym and student centres. That sounds perfectly ok to me.

XxMCRxBabyxX

Think it's a fiver to USI too

Annasopra

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

Think it's a fiver to USI too

A fiver for USI is excellent value

meganob

Can anyone post a link for eligibility on free tuition fees? Thanks,Would be greatly appreciated!

mickstupp

Far as I know, as long as you don't have a degree already, you're eligible. Kind of. I mean if you already went to college and did first year, but not second or third... then you'd have to pay for first year, but not the other two, if that makes sense?

You'd still have to pay the registration fee, which is ginormous, unless that's covered by grant or back to education allowance? I have no idea of that stuff unfortunately.

meganob

mickstupp wrote: »

Far as I know, as long as you don't have a degree already, you're eligible. Kind of. I mean if you already went to college and did first year, but not second or third... then you'd have to pay for first year, but not the other two, if that makes sense?

You'd still have to pay the registration fee, which is ginormous, unless that's covered by grant or back to education allowance? I have no idea of that stuff unfortunately.

So if I understand correctly, if you are eligible for susi and you are an undergrad(ie get free fees) all you would have to contribute is the student leavy + accom or trips?

mickstupp

Think so. But don't take my word for it, I was never eligible for that stuff.

The Fees guys should be in tomorrow:
https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/student-fees-grants/contact