Students planning to go to college in the autumn can apply now to see if they are eligible for maintenance grants, Minister for Education Mary Coughlan said yesterday.
The application process is starting about two months earlier this year and for the first time application forms can be downloaded from the internet. Funding to pay the grants will also be given in advance to local authorities this year.
Ms Coughlan said a significant frustration for too many students starting third-level over the years has been the delayed arrival of their grant payment.
Details of the grant schemes and application forms will be available on www.studentfinance.ie