Financial Support

Local Development Organisations

Up to recently most counties had separate local development organisations for rural development (the Leader Program) and social inclusion (to support individuals who for whatever reason are not in a position to access mainstream training or education). In the last couple of years, these have been merged into a single organisation per county with the staff from the previous organisations transferring into the new company. The names of the new company usually include the county name, the word “Partnership” and sometimes also “Leader”.

Local development organisations may be able to help in two ways.

• The person responsible for Training / Education will be familiar with any supports that are available and can help you access them. At the moment (2009), they have no resources to provide financial support themselves but that may change in the future.
• Leader Funding. The criteria here are quite restrictive; only courses meeting local community needs that involve “distance learning using new technology” are eligible. How this is interpreted varies between organisations. In previous programme, students undertaking the Diploma in Rural Development by distance learning have been supported. Each organisation is only allowed support a very small number of individuals.

Contact your county Partnership programme

Work related Funding

If the content of the course you are undertaking fits in with the activity of your employer, your employer may be willing to help support your study.

LANPEG

This funding is for public sector workers on temporary contracts i.e. those would not have courses funded by their employer (which would be the position for permanent staff).

Trade Unions

The SIPTU Education and Development Support Scheme

Third Level Award for SIPTU Members

There are ten awards each year, each with a value of €1,000 per year, for each year of the course up to a maximum of four years.

• Must be members of SIPTU and remain members throughout the course
• Attend a recognised third level educational institution
• The study / research subject must be relating to trade union issues, equality, industrial relations and the wider labour movement. This could have a broad enough interpretation particularly in relation to equality.

Members applying for a Third Level award should also submit a note on the course for which an award is being sought and the relevance of the course to their own development, their employment and membership of SIPTU. Apply through (your local) SIPTU (branch).

IMPACT
IMPACT offers limited assistance to members taking courses at third level. This is a new scheme. More information should be on their website from mid-July (www.impact.ie). The closing date is expected to be in October.

Other Small Grants

NUI Awards

The NUI (O'Brien Bequest) Award Scheme for Students with Disabilities

This is a once off payment for people with disabilities undertaking the first year of an undergraduate course. It must be their first undergraduate course. In 2009, an overall fund of €11,000 is available which is divided between successful applicants so the actual amounts awarded can be relatively small (€600-700). Application and information forms are on the NUI website (www.nui.ie).  Part-time study is eligible. Applicants are required to submit evidence of their disability with their completed application forms. Closing date for applications: 2 November 2009.

The NUI (O’Brien Bequest) Equal Educational Opportunities Award Scheme

NUI is committed to promoting greater social equity in Irish higher education through securing increased participation in the Constituent Universities by economically disadvantaged

To provide further support, the Senate has introduced an NUI Equal Educational Opportunities Scheme to support a student or students in economically disadvantaged circumstances. In the academic year 2009/10 the sum of €2,500 will be available in each Constituent University. No application is required. The President of the college makes the recommendation to the NUI Senate and so has discretion re part-time v full-time eligibility.

Note: these awards are made by the National University of Ireland (which is the governing bodies for all the NUI colleges) as distinct from NUI Maynooth.

SVP

The Society provides individual grants to those who, without such help, would not be able to complete their education. This can be at primary, secondary and third level.

The SVP gets many applications and takes a practical approach to dealing with them. The emphasis is on giving people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to either stay on or go back to school or college so that they have a better chance of being able to find employment and support themselves and their families. One of the main focuses in recent years has been to assist lone parents to train or retrain for jobs they can combine with family responsibilities. We provide help with childcare costs and for materials and transport.

Currently deciding priorities for future. More details re who / what will support available in August. (01-838 7355 / 838 6990) but sound like part-time not a barrier. However, money is tight so can probably only support cases of severe need.

Social Welfare Recipients

Lone parents Allowance (and possibly others but not Jobseekers Allowance or Jobseekers Benefit)

At the discretion of the local Social Welfare Office, Social Welfare may pay course fees for people in receipt of social welfare payments. Contact the Development Officer in your local Social Welfare Office (the Development Worker will be based in the main office not a sub-office). If you have had contact with a local development / community group who have links with the Social Welfare office, it may be worth asking them to contact the Development Officer on your behalf / in your support. Social Welfare may also channel the funds through a local development / community group.

Labour Market Activisation Scheme

This year the Government have earmarked funding for a limited number of places for unemployed people to access part time designated courses at third level.  So far there have been two schemes:  The first, targeting people who are unemployed with qualifications at levels NFQ levels 4, 5 and 6 enabling them to access courses at levels 6, 7 (institutes of technology) and level 8 (institutes of technology and universities), (1,500 places nationally);  and the second targeting unemployed graduates who have been unemployed for a minimum of six months at 1 September 2009 or who have been awarded statutory redundancy (1,000 places nationally).  The second scheme enables graduates to access part time postgraduate diplomas, part time higher education diplomas, or part time postgraduate conversion programmes.

The courses covered under this scheme must fall into the skills areas identified in Forfás’ Submission to the Higher Education Labour Market Activation Response Group and the Government’s Building Ireland’s Smart Economy. 

Individual third level institutions will advertise courses covered under these schemes and further information is also available from your local Social Welfare Office.

VEC

SPIDAS

This is a discretionary fund administered through the VEC. The fund is not big and only supports individuals on low income with no other source of funding. Priorities can vary from area to area.

Contact the local Adult Guidance Service or Community Education Facilitator (usually one of each per county) to see what they may be able to support. The Adult Guidance Officer will probably be familiar with most of the different types of support available.

Tax Relief on Fees

This covers only the tuition aspect of fees. It does not cover registration or exam fees.

Undergraduate courses must:

• be carried out in an approved college;
• be of at least two academic years duration; and
• in the case of courses carried out in colleges and institutions that require approval by the Department of Education and Science for the purposes of this tax relief, the course must be approved by that Department.

Postgraduate courses must:

• be carried out in an approved college;
• be of at least one academic year but no more than four academic years in duration; and
• lead to a postgraduate award based on either a thesis or an examination.

Also, the person taking the course must already have a primary degree or equivalent qualification.

Tax relief is available at the standard rate of income tax for recognised courses up to a maximum of €5000. If another individual pays qualifying fees for a course you are undertaking, they can claim tax relief on them. Contact your local tax office or www.revenue.ie

Financial Institutions

Allied Irish Bank

Student accounts are for full-time students only. Loans for educations purposes would be personal lloans at standard rates.

Bank of Ireland

Student accounts are for full-time students only. Loans for educations purposes would be personal loans at standard rates.

Credit Unions

Some credit unions give grants / bursaries to support members undertaking education. They may also give loans at preferential rates for educational purposes. This is not a national scheme and varies from credit union to credit union. Contact your local credit union.

National Irish Bank

There are no accounts specifically tailored towards students. Loans for educations purposes would be personal loans at standard rates.

Ulster Bank

Part-time students are eligible for student / graduate accounts (which have more favourable conditions than standard accounts). Loans to undergraduates for educational purposes do not qualify for any concessions. However, loans to graduates for educational purposes may be given at preferential rates. Contact the Student Adviser or the Customer Advisor for more details in either your local branch or in Ulster Bank, Main Street, Maynooth.

Note: student card + proof of identity are required to open accounts

Not Relevant for Part-time Third Level Education

Ongoing programmes but full time only

Access Office (NUIM)

Deals with full time only

BTEA (Back to Education Allowance)

the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) allows people in receipt of certain social welfare payments to retain those payments whilst participating in approved full-time courses in further and higher education. The BTEA allows qualifying persons to return to full-time education in approved courses while continuing to get income support. Approved programmes range from foundation courses to postgraduate courses. Participants receive a standard rate of payment that is not means-tested.

Eligibility for payment of a Maintenance Grant does not affect eligibility for the BTEA or the rate of payment. In addition, income from part-time work does not affect the basic BTEA payment.

BTEA is not an unemployment payment and participants are not required to ‘sign on’

Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) Scholarships

Higher education scholarships are available for full-time students living in the Dublin Docklands area. This bursary is attended to assist with books, materials, field trips and other associated academic costs. €1,300 is available for those on degree courses and €650 for those completing diploma or certificate courses.

Diageo (Guiness )

Support for third level students living in Dublin 8. Works closely with schools in the area. Full time courses only.

Fund for Students with Disabilities

The Fund for Students with Disabilities allocates funding to further and higher education colleges for the provision of services and supports to full-time students with disabilities. The Fund aims to ensure that students can participate fully in their academic programmes and are not disadvantaged by reason of a disability.

Eligible students can receive assistance from the Fund from PLC level right up to doctoral level. You do not have to be in first year of a course to be eligible to apply for the Fund*. Application for the first time can be made during any year of study on an approved course at further or higher education level.

Applications to the Fund are made on behalf of an eligible student by their college following an assessment of need. Applications cannot be made directly to the Fund by students. Colleges are also responsible for the management of the funding approved for eligible students.

Applicants to the Fund for Students with Disabilities are not means-tested. A minimum age for application applies, however. Students with disabilities enrolled in part-time courses, access or foundation courses in higher education institutions or short courses are not eligible for consideration under the Fund.

To work out whether you may be eligible for the Fund you need to be aware of the main conditions of the programme. The 9-step guide, which you can access from the left-hand side of this page, will assist you in this process. Each step has a button that will guide you through the eligibility requirements of the fund.

Maintenance Grant

The maintenance grant is the main source of financial help available from the Irish State for students in full-time Post Leaving Certificate Courses (PLCs) and full-time higher education undergraduate/postgraduate courses. Support is available to eligible students in most colleges in Ireland as well as eligible Irish students in many colleges in Northern Ireland, the UK and other EU States. For eligible students, the maintenance grant is there to help with the various costs of participating in further or higher education. Students on part-time courses, access or foundation courses (in higher education institutions) and short courses are not eligible to apply for a maintenance grant.

Student Assistance Fund

The Student Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for full-time higher education students who are experiencing financial difficulties whilst attending college. Students can apply for Student Assistance to help them with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties. The Student Assistance Fund provides a further source of funding for higher education students in addition to schemes such as the Maintenance Grant and the Millennium Partnership Fund.

VTOS (Vocational Training Outreach Service)

Full-time, VEC based courses.

Recently finished programmes

Millennium Fund

This was available through the LDSIP programme (max available was €500). It is now administered alongside the standard County Council maintenance grants so only full-time students are now eligible. It is ending this year.

Bank of Ireland Millennium Scholars Trust

Scholarship awards from €3,200 per annum were made, depending on the individual's circumstances. The maximum contribution per person was €38,000 for the entire course duration. In their last year and applications closed.