Maintenance grant schemes for students on third-level courses

Information

In Ireland there are four main student support schemes for students intending to go on to third-level education. These schemes include the:

• Higher Education Grants Scheme
• Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme
• Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees
• Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students Attending Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

Changes in Budget 2010

Budget 2010, which was announced on 9 December 2009, introduces several changes to student support schemes.

• Student grants and scholarships will be reduced by 5%. This reduction will be implemented to all existing and new grant-holders from January 2010.
• Support under the Millennium Partnership Scheme is being withdrawn.
• People who are getting Back to Education Allowance and those on Post-Leaving Certificate courses who are getting VTOS allowances will not be eligible for student support grants. However, this does not affect any entitlement that they may have to exemption from college fees or student support charges. This applies to all new grant-holders from 2010 onwards.

Information on student finance

There is detailed information on the range of grants and funds for students in further and higher education on the website studentfinance.ie. This website has details of 3 other student support funds: the Fund for Students with Disabilities, the Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage* and the Student Assistance Fund. There are also a small number of third-level scholarships which are awarded on the basis of results in the Leaving Certificate. There is further information about these funds and scholarships in More about this topic.

*Budget 2010: Support under the Millennium Partnership Scheme is being withdrawn.

Proposed changes to student support scheme

In February 2008 the Student Support Bill (pdf) was published by the Minister for Education and Science. It proposes a number of changes including:

• A new single unified grant scheme to replace the existing 4 schemes
• New scheme to be administered by the vocational education committees (VECs)
• New independent appeals board to be introduced
• New requirement to be resident in State for 3 of previous 5 years

As the Bill has not yet been passed the existing arrangements continued to apply to grant applications for 2009/2010.

Undergraduate and postgraduate courses

For approved undergraduate courses in Ireland and other EU countries maintenance grants are available but there are no fee grants for courses in other EU countries. For approved postgraduate courses in Ireland and Northern Ireland grants are available for maintenance and fees. See 'Rules' below for details of approved courses and eligibility criteria.

Rules

Higher Education Grants Scheme

You can apply for the Higher Education Grants Scheme if you are a student undertaking an approved full-time undergraduate course of at least 2 years in duration or a full-time postgraduate course. You must meet a number of criteria to qualify for the grant including academic attainment and a means test. Details of the Higher Education Grants Scheme are available on the website of the Department of Education and Science.

The scheme applies to you if you: 

• Are starting an approved course for the first time in the academic year in question
• Are a mature student, who in the academic year in question is either entering in order to complete an approved course at undergraduate level for the first time or re-entering in order to pursue or complete an approved course at postgraduate level for the first time or already hold a postgraduate qualification and are re-entering to progress to a further postgraduate course which represents progression. (In order to be considered a mature student, you need to be at least 23 years of age on January 1 of the year you enter your chosen course.)
• Have attended but not successfully completed an approved course and are returning following a break of at least 5 years in order to pursue an approved course at the same level in the academic year in question. In this instance, you will be considered a Second Chance Student

To be eligible for a grant under this scheme, you must also fulfil the conditions as to residence, age, academic attainments, means and nationality.

Budget 2010: Under the new arrangements announced in Budget 2010, you will not be eligible for the grant if you are getting Back to Education Allowance.

Residence

Your parents or guardians or, you yourself if you are an independent mature candidate (see below), must have been ordinarily resident in the administrative area of the local authority from 1 October prior to applying for the grant. The local authority has discretion to waive this requirement in exceptional circumstances.

Age

You must be at least 17 years of age on 1 January of the year following your application.

Nationality

In order to get a maintenance grant you must:

• Be a national of an EU member state or an EEA member state or Switzerland or
• Have refugee status or
• Have been granted humanitarian leave to remain in Ireland (foreign nationals granted leave to remain under the Irish Born Child scheme - IBC/05 are not eligible) or
• Are eligible for subsidiary protection or have been granted leave to remain under the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 or
• Have permission to remain following a determination not to make a deportation order or 
• Have permission to remain in Ireland by virtue of marriage to an Irish national living here or be the child of such a person or 
• Have permission to remain in Ireland by virtue of marriage to a national of another EU member state who is living in Ireland or be the child of such a person

Approved courses

The courses approved under this scheme are:

(a) Full-time undergraduate courses of not less than 2 years' duration or full-time postgraduate courses of not less than 1 year duration taken in one of the approved institutions

(b) Full-time undergraduate courses of not less than 2 years' duration taken in a publicly funded university or third-level institution in another EU member state, with the exception of the following:

• Courses provided in a college that are offered in private commercial third-level colleges in the state and that are validated by that college
• Courses in colleges akin to private commercial colleges in Ireland

(c) A full-time undergraduate course of a minimum duration of 1 year in one of the approved institutions which represents progression from a FETAC Level 5 qualification and that leads to the award of a qualification of third-level standard following a terminal examination

(d) A full-time undergraduate course of a minimum duration of 1 year in one of the approved institutions which represents progression from a Level 7 (Ordinary Bachelor Degree or National Diploma) course to an add-on Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree) course

Independent mature candidates

Candidates who were ordinarily resident with their parents from October 1 of the year preceding the year of entry to the course are considered dependent on their parents and their income is assessed together with their parents' income(s). Independent mature candidates are candidates aged over 23 who live separately from their parents from October 1 of the year preceding the year of entry to the course. They are assessed on their own income.

Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme

The Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme applies to candidates who satisfy the criteria for the Higher Education Grants Scheme, with the addition of candidates who have satisfactorily completed 2 years of a Level 7 (Ordinary Bachelor Degree or National Diploma) course and gain admission through exemption to year two of a Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree) course.

The eligibility conditions are generally the same as those for the Higher Education Grants Scheme.

Budget 2010: Under the new arrangements announced in Budget 2010, you will not be eligible for the grant if you are getting Back to Education Allowance.

Approved courses

Approved courses are:

(a) Full-time courses at the colleges of the National University of Ireland; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin City University; the University of Limerick; Queens University, Belfast or the University of Ulster where the student progresses to the university course by completing a course at Level 6 (National Certificate) or Level 7 (National Diploma)

(b) Full-time approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses at approved institutions

(c) BTEC Higher National Diploma (HND) courses in certain colleges of further education and colleges of further and higher education in Northern Ireland

(d) Full-time approved undergraduate courses in third-level institutions in EU member states, on the same basis as the Higher Education Grants Scheme, in the case of students who have been awarded a National Certificate or a National Diploma

Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees

The Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees scheme covers a series of one, two and three-year courses leading to qualifications at Level 6 (Higher Certificate) and at Level 7 (Ordinary Bachelor Degree) in Institutes of Technology. It is open to candidates who require higher level initial education and training to improve their employment prospects in line with the Government's sectoral employment priorities and who are entering approved Middle Level Technician or Higher Technical Business Skills courses for the first time in the academic year in question.

The scheme is also open to mature candidates who are re-entering in order to complete such a course. The eligibility conditions are generally the same as those for the Higher Education Grants Scheme.

Budget 2010: Under the new arrangements announced in Budget 2010, you will not be eligible for the grant if you are getting Back to Education Allowance.

Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post-Leaving Certificate Courses

The Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post-Leaving Certificate Courses is open to candidates who are entering approved Post Leaving Certificate courses for the first time in the academic year in question. The eligibility conditions are generally the same as those for the Higher Education Grants Scheme.

Budget 2010: Under the new arrangements announced in Budget 2010, you will not be eligible for the grant if you are getting a VTOS allowance.

You must be at least 16 years of age at the start of the course. Grants are available for full-time approved Post Leaving Certificate courses of at least one year duration at approved Post Leaving Certificate centres. The list of approved centres is available from your local vocational education committee (VEC).

Family income limits

The means test for a maintenance grant in 2009/2010 is based on your family's income for the last full tax year (2008). The family income limits for eligibility for a maintenance grant (for the period 1 January to 31 December 2008) are set out below. You can find out what is reckonable income for maintenance grants on studentfinance.ie.

Number of Dependent Children	Full Maintenance	Part Maintenance (75%)	Part Maintenance (50%)	Part Maintenance (25%)	Exempt from student service charge (SSC)*
Less than 4	€41,110	€42,235	€44,720	€47,205	€51,380
4 to 7	€45,165	€46,415	€49,145	€51,880	€56,460
8 or more	€49,045	€50,400	€53,360	€56,320	€61,295

* Full student service charge is paid where income is at or below this level.

In the 2009/2010 academic year, where 2 or more children (or the candidate's parent) are pursuing the courses listed below, the reckonable income limits may be increased as follows:

• In Full Maintenance and Exemption from SSC categories by €4,980 where there are 2 such children, €9,960 where there are 3 such children and so on, by increments of €4,980
• In Part Maintenance 75%, 50% and 25% categories by €4,815 where there are 2 such children, €9,630 where there are 3 such children and so on, by increments of €4,815

The courses in question are:

• Full-time third-level courses
• Recognised PLC courses, student nurse training or student Garda training
• Fáilte Ireland courses of at least one year's duration
• Full-time Teagasc courses in agricultural colleges
• Recognised full-time further education courses of at least one year's duration in Northern Ireland

Special rates of grants for disadvantaged students

Disadvantaged students who meet a number of conditions can qualify for special rates of grants.

Applicants must qualify for the ordinary maintenance grant for the academic year 2009/2010 and total reckonable income in the tax year January to December 2008 must not exceed €22,308 net of Qualified Child Increases and standard exclusions.

For students, including mature students, who are assessed on parent(s)/guardian income, their parent(s)/guardian must, on 31 December 2008, have been:

• Claiming long-term social welfare payments, or
• Claiming Family Income Supplement or
• Participating in designated programmes (for example, a FÁS training programme).

For students who are assessed on their own income, on 31 December 2008, the student must have been receiving an eligible (long-term) social welfare payment (including long-term Jobseeker's Allowance) or Family Income Supplement or participating in a designated programme.

Rates

As a result of Budget 2010, which was announced on 9 December 2009, the rates of student grants and scholarships will be reduced by 5%. This reduction will be implemented to all existing and new grant-holders from January 2010.

Changes in grant rates are considered during the annual Budget process and become effective in January at the beginning of the financial year rather than at the start of the academic year in September.

Ordinary maintenance grant rates for 2009

Rates	Non-Adjacent Rate	Adjacent Rate
Full Maintenance	€3,420	€1,370
Part maintenance (75%)	€2,565	€1,030
Part maintenance (50%)	€1,710	€685
Part maintenance (25%)	€855	€345

Ordinary maintenance grant rates for 2010

Rates	Non-Adjacent Rate	Adjacent Rate
Full Maintenance	€3,250	€1,300
Part maintenance (75%)	€2,435	€980
Part maintenance (50%)	€1,625	€650
Part maintenance (25%)	€810	€330

The adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable where the student lives 24 kilometres or less from the college he/she plans to attend. The non-adjacent rate applies to everyone else, including all mature students both dependent and independent.

Special rates for 2010

The full rates of the special maintenance grant are €6,355 (€6,690 in 2009) which includes the top-up of  €3,105 (€3,270 in 2009) for disadvantaged students living more than 24 kilometres away from college and €2,545 (€2,680 in 2009) which includes the top-up of  €1,245 (€1,310 in 2009) for disadvantaged students living within 24 kilometres of college.

Payment of grants

Higher Education Grants and VEC Scholarship Grants are paid in three equal instalments. A cheque in the student's name will be sent by the VEC or local authority to the relevant college. 

Grants from the Third-Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and from the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post-Leaving Certificate Courses are paid monthly in arrears.

How to apply

You can download the student grant application form (pdf) and accompanying notes (pdf) from the studentfinance.ie website. The form is also available from your local vocational education committee (VEC) or your local authority.

If you are applying for the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship, the Third-Level Maintenance Grant for Trainees or the Post-Leaving Certificate Maintenance Grant you should send the completed form to your local VEC. 

If you are applying for the Higher Education Grant you should send the completed form to your local authority.

Students can have their eligibility for a grant reassessed at any stage during their course of study. If you think that you have been unjustly refused a grant, you may appeal to your local authority or VEC. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by the relevant local authority or VEC, and remains of the view that the body has not interpreted the conditions correctly in their case, a letter outlining the position may be sent to the Student Support Unit in the Department of Education and Science.

Application forms should be returned to the relevant VEC office or local authority office, generally by the last working day of August in the year you are applying for the grant.

Further information about grants is available on studentfinance.ie.

Where to apply

Contact your local VEC or your local authority.