College Choice/Brian Mooney:Under the free fees scheme, every eligible undergraduate student is entitled to free tuition for the higher certificate, ordinary or honours degree programmes.
However, be aware of the fact that if students drop out of their first course and start another, they generally will have to pay tuition fees for any of the years repeated. These can range from a half-year's fee to the full amount, depending on the length of time spent on the initial course.
In addition to free tuition at undergraduate level, the principal support available is a means-tested maintenance grant. Depending on the course, a student may be eligible for a grant under one of the following four schemes:
• the higher education grant scheme, which applies largely to university honours degree courses;
• the third-level maintenance grant scheme for trainees, which applies to most higher certificate and ordinary degree courses in the institutes of technology;
• the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme, which applies to add-on primary honours degrees, where students have already pursued a higher certificate/ordinary degree level course. This scheme also applies to certain courses in Northern Ireland, or
• the maintenance grant scheme for students attending PLCs, post-Leaving Certificate courses.
The higher education grants scheme is administered by the local authorities and the other three are administered by the Vocational Education Committees.
You can get full details of the current maintenance grant schemes together with the grant application forms from your local authority or Vocational Education Committee.
To facilitate administrative improvements for students, the Department of Education and Science aims to make the application forms available through VECs and local authorities by the end of February. Under the current system, an applicant must meet the essential conditions relating to means. There are other conditions, including those relating to the course, previous academic attainment, age, residence and nationality.
How does the means test work?
When you apply for a grant, the income, which is assessed, must be at or below a certain amount (the "reckonable income" limit). For the 2006-07 academic year, the reckonable income limits (based on income for the tax year 2005) are as follows:
If your family has fewer than four dependent children and parental income is less than €37,365 a year, you will qualify for a full maintenance grant. There are different thresholds for larger families, ranging from €41,055 to €55,715.
What is the rate of grant?
Grants are paid at either of two rates - the non-adjacent rate, where the grant-holder's normal residence is more than 15 miles from the college attended, and the adjacent rate, where the grant-holder's normal residence is 15 miles or less from the college attended.
For 2006/2007, the highest non-adjacent rate of grant is €3,110. The highest adjacent rate is €1,245. Lower rates of grant are payable, depending on the reckonable income.
Grant-holders who satisfy certain conditions may be eligible for what is known as a top-up grant, an amount additional to the ordinary grant. For 2006-07, the non-adjacent, ordinary grant plus the top-up has been increased to €5,970 and the adjacent rate to €2,390, giving top-ups of €2,860 and €1,145 respectively.
The net reckonable income limit for the top-up grant for the 2006-07 academic year is €16,748, all or part of which must be a specified social welfare or analogous payment.
Other supports
(a) The fund for students with disabilities:
This fund provides grants for students who have sensory, physical, learning and/or communicative disabilities. The aim is to provide those students with assistance and/or equipment to enable them to pursue and complete their course of study.
Applications for funding are made by the disability/access officer in the student's third- level institution or by the principal in the student's PLC college .The student on registration should discuss the particular disability and the equipment or service required with the disability/access officer or the principal, as appropriate.
(b) The student assistance fund (for approved third-level institutions):
This fund assists students who, having started a third-level course, experience financial hardship and may be unable to continue their third-level studies.
Applications for funding should be made by the individual student to the access officer in their institution. Each third-level institution administers the fund on a confidential, discretionary basis. Further information is available from the access office or student services office in higher education colleges.
(c) The Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage:
This fund supports students from disadvantaged areas attending further or higher education courses. Partnership companies and community groups manage the fund locally. Information can be obtained from Pobal (01-240 0700).
The National Office for Equity of Access to Third-Level Education (01-661 2748) administers the three funds mentioned above on behalf of the Department of Education and Science.
Tomorrow:career options outside the CAO.
Today at 5.15pm is the deadline for applications but those posted on or before today will also be processed.
You can e-mail Brian Mooneyon bmooney@irish-times.ie
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