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Is there a minimum age limit for student grant eligibility?

Yes. For the PLC scheme, you must be aged at least 16 years at the time of entry to an approved course. For the higher education schemes, you must be aged at least 17 years of age on 1 January 2011.

If my application for a student grant has been refused, can I appeal the decision?

Yes, if you feel your application for a student grant has been unjustly turned down you can appeal to the relevant local authority or VEC. If after this appeal procedure has ended you still feel that the grant-awarding agency has not interpreted the scheme regulations correctly, you can submit your reason for why you are of this view to the Minister for Education. The determination by the Minister is then final. A sample copy of the appeal form can be downloaded here .

 

Can I submit an application for a student grant after the advertised closing date?

Yes, however it is highly recommended to submit a fully completed application form as soon as possible after the applications process opens and not later than the annual August deadline. Applications submitted after this deadline are generally processed by the grant-awarding agencies; however this is at their absolute discretion. The grant-awarding agencies are entitled to deem an application late and only award the grant from the following academic year.

 

I have been approved for a student grant. A compulsory part of my higher education course will involve studying in a college abroad for one academic year. Will I still get the grant for this year away?

Yes, as long as the period abroad does not affect the normal duration of the approved course. The non-adjacent rate of grant is payable to the student for the period of study abroad.

 

I have been approved for a student grant. A compulsory part of my higher education course will involve a field trip. Is there any assistance available towards the cost of the field trip under the maintenance grant schemes?

Yes, compulsory field trips may be funded for eligible grant-holders provided the combined cost of the tuition fee, the student services charge and the cost of the field trip does not exceed the maximum fee limit (€6,270 for the 2010-11 academic year).

 

I have been approved for a student grant. A compulsory part of my higher education course will involve an off-campus placement. Will I still get the grant during the placement period?

Yes, as long as the placement is an integral part of the course. If you are approved for the adjacent rate and you are required to re-locate in order to complete the placement, as long as the placement is not less than one academic term or semester the non-adjacent rate of grant can be paid for the duration of the placement.

 

I have been approved for a grant but have decided not to take up the approved course offered to me. I am hoping to gain a place in a different (approved) course next academic year. Will the grant approval still be valid for the preferred course?

No, the offer of the grant lapses. You must re-apply next year.

 

I have applied to my college for a scholarship/prize/bursary. If I am successful in this regard, will this affect my eligibility for a student  grant?

No, as long as the scholarship/prize/bursary is being made by the institution being attended. Holders of the following scholarships, if eligible, may also hold a student grant: Easter Week Scholarship, Donagh O'Malley Scholarship, the new All-Ireland Scholarship and Science Foundation Ireland/Dell Scholarship for Young Women in Engineering.

 

I have applied for a postgraduate research grant. If I am successful in this regard, will this affect my eligibility for a student grant?

No, as long as the postgraduate research grant does not exceed a specified amount: €16,000 for the 2010-11 academic year.

 

Can I apply for a student grant online?
Online application facilities for 2011-12 will be available for a number of grant-awarding authorities when the application process opens.

 

Can I download an application form for a student grant?

The 2011-12 form will be available to download shortly. The form must be printed in full, completed, signed and returned by post to your local authority or local VEC, as appropriate . 

 

How is maintenance paid?

For PLC courses, maintenance is paid to grant holders in monthly instalments in arrears during the academic year. You will need a bank account.
For Higher Certificate (technician) courses and Ordinary Degree (technical/business skills) courses in the Institutes of Technology, maintenance is paid to grant holders in monthly installments in arrears over a 36 week span in each of the years of the course.

For all other approved courses under the grant schemes, maintenance is paid in three equal installments, addressed to the grant-holder c/o the Bursar’s Office of the college.

If I'm approved for the grant, but do not receive payment by the time I start or return to college, what assistance is available?
There is no scheme which specifically supports students approved for the grant but not as yet paid. However, the Student Assistance Fund may be of help. Some banks provide bridging loans for students who are awaiting their grant payment and can provide official documentary evidence of approval. Check this out with student banking officers in the main banks.

I have been approved for a student grant. What happens if my circumstances change?
Eligibility is re-assessed by the grant-awarding agencies in the event of a change in the following circumstances: reckonable income; number of dependent children; number of children pursuing a course of study; normal residence; nationality. More information is available here .

What happens if I send my completed application form for a student grant to the wrong grant-awarding agency?
We hope that studentfinance.ie will assist you in ensuring that your form goes to the right place. However, if you think that you have sent your form to the wrong agency, contact them and ask them to forward your form to the appropriate agency. Even if you do not realise that the form has been sent to the wrong place, the initial receiving agency should send on the form anyway. It should not be necessary for you to complete another form. Remember that it is in your interests to ensure that the form has gone to the right place so that no undue delays occur in the processing of your application.

I have applied for an approved course in higher education, however I may decide in September to take up an approved further education course. Am I required to fill out two different grant scheme application forms?
No! Using the 'Check your Course and Where to Apply' facility in the student grant section of studentfinance.ie, complete the form relating to your preferred option as at this time. If you are approved for a grant you will, nearer the start of the academic year, be asked to fill out a 'Final Course Acceptance' form. This form will allow the grant-awarding agencies to complete the processing of your application under the correct scheme. DON'T wait until you decide what course to take up before completing the grant application form.

Can I get a student grant if I enrol in the new graduate entry to medicine programme(s)?
No. It is an entry requirement for the graduate medical entry programmes that you have an honours degree qualification (NFQ Level 8) already. As the graduate medical entry programme is also Level 8, you would not be embarking on your first undergraduate qualification if you take up this course and therefore you would not be eligible for a student grant. This applies regardless of whether or not you actually received a student grant during the first degree course.