Rough Guide to the Student Grant 2017

There’s a lot to think about when going to college. Financial support is one of the big ones. Each year Crosscare Youth Information service produces a ‘Rough Guide to the Student Grant’. Below is the 2017 version, available for you to download and share freely.

Rough Guide Page 1

Rough Guide Page 2

 

You can download the ‘Rough Guide to Student Grant 2017’ here

There have been a few small changes to the grant for 2017, but for most people the criteria and figures will stay the same.  If you are eligible for the ‘Special top-up rate’ the threshold has risen to €23,000. The grant for some Post Graduate students has been reintroduced. Mature students that had previously dropped out of college can now apply for a grant for a plc course and there are changes around counting bursaries and for children of naturalized citizens. More detail about this can be found from the Dept of Education or you can click on this link to view their recent announcement of the scheme.
Our guide will give you a basic introduction to the grant, mainly around the types of questions we get mostly get asked about, including the thresholds, figures and eligibility criteria.
Some of the other costs of going to college:

• PLC Programme Participant Contribution of €200 per year for Level 5/6 (Colleges for Further Ed).  You are exempt from this if you qualify for The Student Grant.
• Student Contribution of up to €3,000 per year for Level 7/8 (ITs/ Universities). You are exempt from this if you are eligible for The Student Grant.
• Fee for student facilities e.g. internet, services
• Exam fees
• Costs for specific courses e.g. Art material for design courses, – some course material can cost over €2,000
• Travel Costs

 

If you are having any difficulty with any of the student grant process, whether that s uncertainty about one part of the application, or you would like us to sit with you and help complete the full  application form, then we are happy to help with that difficulty.

You can give us a call, contact us via social media or email. We also have offices in Bray and Arklow where you can meet an information worker, but we can also make arrangements to visit other parts of the county to meet with groups or individuals.

A PDF version of the Rough Guide can be downloaded here below

Student Grant Rough Guide2017

 

Student Grants – don’t leave it too late

The closing date (August 1st) for student grant applications is fast approaching. Hopefully you have already registered with SUSI and are well on the way to getting your application sorted. If not, we have some information that might be useful.

If you are struggling with your application, you can contact or drop-in to YouthSpin at Crosscare – Bray Youth Service on Herbert Rd in Bray. We are there Tues-Thurs in St Bricin’s (beside the doctor’s surgery). We are on Facebook, Twitter and of course on the phone. We can also arrange to use Skype to discuss applications with students.

 

Rough Guide to College Grants

Crosscare Youth Information Service publish an at-a-glance guide to student grants which might be useful. We’ve attached both pages below as images, but also attached PDF copies for you to download.

Also attached is a PDF file called Student Financial Support, which gives you some more detail about financial support available to students.

 

A quick guide to Student grants

 

Useful websites for information about student grants

The first place to go for student finance information is the Student Finance website, which has  comprehensive information about all types of grants and fees.

Grants are processed by a single body called SUSI who have a useful help-desk that you contact by phone on 0761 08 7874, or by Facebook or Twitter

A useful place to visit is the Student Finance forum on Boards.ie You can ask questions or just lurk and view questions by others. They also have forums on different educational institutions and for secondary students. Please be aware that we can make no guarantees about the accuracy of information on message boards.

The state website for citizens information also has a section on Student grants

Where else to go for financial support in Co Wicklow?

If you are living in a RAPID area of Bray you might be able to get a grant through the Bray Area Partnership

If you excel at sport, Wicklow County Council runs the Katie Taylor Bursary each year. Closing date for applications for 2014 has passed, but watch for details in May next year.

 

PDFs

Studentfinance14

rough guide 2014