4.4.1: Maintenance Grant
Students differed in how they supported their HE studies. One source of funding includes State maintenance grants, issued by the city/county council or the Vocational Educational Committee, depending on the students’ geographical location and type of institution attended. It should be noted that the student services charge or the ‘registration fee’ is waived for students who are in receipt of the State grant.
Some students reported experiencing the application procedures for a grant as overly complicated and sometimes expensive. This was especially true for those whose parents were self-employed, including farmers, who needed accountants to complete the application. However, these groups, particularly the farming group, have been found to have high levels of grant receipt, as shown in section 4.3.2.
As well as the level of the State grant being criticised as being inadequate to meet the cost of living, some students felt that the timing of the State grant did little to ease financial strain. IoT students who used to receive the grant monthly now receive it on a similar basis to the university students, paid in three instalments over the calendar year. This caused students budgeting difficulties, as was noted by personnel as well.
I have to say that it’s not the amount that’s troubling, I find the timing of it is very bad – October. To be honest, it’s a bit pointless. A lot of your expenses are in September. The books are extremely expensive. (Student with a disability, IoT)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Disability SEG Age
% Disability Disadvanta ge d Non-disadvanta ge d Matur e Non-matur e No Disability
CHAPTER 4: STATE SUPPORT
Well the last time it was paid to you monthly and this last time now it’s paid 3 monthly. So to try and budget out for 3 months at a time … so you’re only paid every 3 months. And you’re back in college and it’s normally the end of October before the first cheque comes through.
(Student with a disability, IoT)
4.4.2: Other Government Supports
In addition to the basic State support, many mature students also reported receiving the Back to Education Allowance (Back to Ed/BTEA). Some students with a disability were able to claim Disability Allowance (Disability) while attending higher education.
I’m not actually employed. I get Disability Allowance, I get a grant. It’s fairly difficult. I got a certain amount of redundancy when I was made redundant and obviously I’m dipping into that. It wasn’t an awful lot.
(Student with a disability/mature, Uni)
However, some students reported confusion over their entitlements to, and sources of, financial support with regards to the various State supports. They reported instances of misinformation which sometimes created subsequent financial strain. Students often indicated that their situation was a discretionary one, and thus felt particularly vulnerable to potential changes or shifts in their circumstances.
I was given incorrect information because I subsequently found out if I had not gone on Back to Education and stayed on Disability, I would still have my Disability money now ... the Department of Social Welfare, they said that because I was going back to college, I would have to have to go on Back to Education but I was talking to another student, he didn’t go on BTEA, he stayed on Disability and he continues to have Disability as a postgraduate … whereas when I went back on Disability because my stamps had run out over the period of time I was doing the degree, they weren’t valid.
(Student with a disability/mature, IoT)
They wanted me to go on Back to Ed and I said no, that was going to cause too many problems. So I insisted and I stayed on my Invalidity/Back to Education … technically, I’m on Back to Education for the length of college but I’ve never given up my book. It does depend on who you meet in the Department of Social Welfare.
(Student with a disability/mature, IoT)
No … well, prior to coming in, I had been working part-time … the advice I got is that I would be allowed to keep my Lone Parent payment and receive BTEA. And receive my grant. And I set my plan out based on that income. But you are not allowed to [have] both BTEA and Lone Parent so my income was down 50 per cent immediately.
(Mature student, Uni)
Some students were aware of a book allowance available from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. However, others reported being made aware of it for the first time at the focus group.
Even if you qualify for a book allowance, which is 400 euros, it’s totally inadequate. It wouldn’t cover even one module of my semester’s books.
(Student with a disability/mature, IoT)
CHAPTER 4: STATE SUPPORT
in receipt of grants over time, the qualitative research highlights some of the experiences of students in seeking or obtaining grant funding. As well as highlighting the adequacy of grant payments, which was examined in some depth earlier in the chapter, the students highlighted practical issues over application procedures for the grant, the timing of grant payments, confusion over eligibility for other supports such as the BTEA and the Disability Allowance and general issues around awareness of the supports available.
CHAPTER 3: EXPENDITURE PATTERN OF STUDENTS
CHAPTER
5
CHAPTER 5: OTHER INCOME SOURCES