COLLEGE CHOICE/Brian Mooney: For those who submitted a CAO application over recent days the question of cost is a major consideration.
Various estimates have been made of how much it costs to attend college. It depends on whether the student is living at home or in rented accommodation.
Due to the free fees scheme every undergraduate student is at least entitled to free tuition once, for every year of a cert/diploma/degree programme.
But be aware that if students drop out of their first course and start another, they will have to pay tuition fees.
These can range from a half-year's fee to the full amount depending on the length of time the student spent on the initial course.
In addition to free tuition at undergraduate level, the principal support available is a means-tested maintenance grant. Every year up to 35,000 prospective students apply for grants.
Depending on the course a student is pursuing they may be eligible for a grant under one of the following schemes:
The higher education grants scheme, which applies to university degree courses.
Third-level maintenance grants scheme for trainees, which applies to most certificate and diploma courses in the Institutes of Technology.
The vocational education committees scholarship scheme, which applies to add-on degrees where students have already pursued certificate/diploma level courses. It also applies to certain courses in Northern Ireland.
The Post Leaving Certificate (PLC) maintenance grants scheme. The higher education grants scheme is administered by the local authorities (e.g. the local councils).
The other three schemes are administered by the Vocational Education Committees. Grant applications should be made to these bodies as appropriate.
In the past these applications only became available in June and July when schools were closed and advice from guidance counsellors was not available.
The Department of Education has advised me that in future they hope application forms can be made available to VECs and local authorities while students are still in school. This should cut down on the high level of incorrectly completed applications submitted, due to the apparent complexity of the form and the difficulty obtaining the necessary documentation for the income assessment.
An application must meet the essential condition relating to means. There are of course other conditions, including those relating to age, residence and nationality.
How does the means test work? When you apply for a grant, the income that is assessed must be at or below a certain amount (the "reckonable income"). For the 2003/2004 academic year, the reckonable income limits (based on income for the tax-year 2002) are: -
If your family has less than four dependent children and parental income is less than €40,000 a year, you will be able to qualify for a grant. There are different thresholds for larger families, ranging from €35,165 to €47,720.
What is the rate of grant? Grants are paid at either of two rates: the non-adjacent rate, where the grant holder's residence is more than 15 miles from the college and the adjacent rate where the grant holder's residence is 15 miles or less from the college. For 2003/04 the highest non-adjacent rate of grant is €2,885. The highest adjacent rate of grant is €1,155. 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 2003/2004 the non-adjacent, ordinary grant plus the top-up has been increased to € 4,495 and the adjacent rate to € 1,800, i.e. a "top-up" of €1,610 and €645 respectively.
The reckonable income limit for the "top-up grant" for the 2003/2004 academic year is €13,760, all or part of which must be a social welfare or analogous payment. You can get details of the grant schemes outlined above from the local authorities and vocational education committees. The Department of Education and Science website www.education.ie also has details.
In addition to the maintenance grant schemes, other supports are available through the Fund for Students with Disabilities.
This fund provides grants for students who have serious sensory, physical 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 should be made through a student's third-level institution. The fund is also available to students pursuing PLC courses.
There is also the Student Assistance Fund (for Approved Third-Level Institutions)
This fund assists students who, having started a course, experience financial hardship. Each third-level institution administers the fund on a confidential, discretionary basis.
The Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage supports students from disadvantaged areas attending further or higher education courses.
Partnership companies and community groups manage the fund locally. Information on partnership/community groups can be obtained from Area Development Management Ltd, 01-2400700.
Final column in the series.
You can e-mail Brian Mooney on bmooney@irish-times.ie
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