Higher Education Grants

Westmeath County Council deals primarily with degree and post-graduate courses under the Higher Education Grants Scheme and the V.E.C. deals with Certificate, Diploma and PLC courses under the other Student Support Schemes.

The Scheme is administered by this Authority under the address given below:

Corporate Services Section,
Westmeath County Council,
County Buildings,
Mullingar,
Co. Westmeath
Telephone: (044) 93-32227
Public Counter Opening Hours: 9.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. (Monday to Friday)

General Information about the Scheme:

Westmeath County Council awards grants on an agency basis on behalf of the Department of Education and Science for Students in Third Level Education in accordance with the Higher Education Grants Scheme. The Scheme is adopted annually by this Authority and it is subsequently approved by the Minister for Education and Science.

Higher Education Grants are means tested therefore you have to acquire and complete an application form to be assessed under the terms of the Scheme.

The 2010/2011 application forms are available for Student Grant Application form . For first time applicants please remember to include Form FA1 or Form SA1 where applicable (See documents downloads elow). Read everything carefully first before completing the application form..

Persons to whom this Scheme applies:

Candidates who are entering an approved course for the first time in 2010/2011 academic year at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
Mature candidates over 23 years of age on 1st January, who in 2010/2011 academic year, are:
- re-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.
Candidate, who having attended but not successfully completed an approved course, are returning following a break of at least five years in order to pursue an approved course at the same level (i.e. Second Chance Students)
Students who are studying outside Ireland in an approved college/course. *NB maintenance is only provided in such instances.

What Grants are available:

Grants range from a grant of full maintenance and full fees to a grant of half fees only. The criteria for eligibility for a grant is set out in the Scheme.

Tuition fees are not payable in respect of approved courses in Britain or in other EU Member States. A grant may not be paid to candidates who already hold an undergraduate degree and are pursuing a second qualification at the same level. Once approved for the Scheme this authority issues payment of the successful candidate's maintenance grant in three equal instalments as early as possible in each of the three terms. Payment of fees is made upon receipt of an original invoice from the college addressed to this Authority. All payments are sent directly to the Registration/Fees office in the College.

Income Limits:

Reckonable Income Limits for the ordinary rates of grant+ for the period 1 January, 2009 to 31 December 2009 (the tax year 2009)

No. of Dependent Children	Full Maintenance and Full Fees	Part Maintenance (75%) and Full Fees	Part Maintenance (50%) and Full Fees	Part Maintenance (25%) and Full Fees	Part Tuition and Fees (50%) only *
Less than 4	€41,110	€42,235	€44,720	€47,205	€51,380
4-7	€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 2010/11 academic year where 2 or more children (or the candidate's parent) are pursuing a course of study listed below the reckonable income limits may be increased 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.

Maintenance Grant Rates 2010/2011:

	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

Special Rate of Maintenance Grant

For the award of a special rate of maintenance grant in respect of the 2010/11 academic year, a candidates reckonable income (for the period 1 January, 2009 to 31 December 2009, the tax year 2009) shall not exceed: -

€22,703
- net of Child Dependant Increase (C.D.I.) paid by the Department of Social and Family Affairs
- net of standard exclusions (as set out in Clause 1 of this Scheme)

As at 31 December 2009, this reckonable income must include one of the social welfare payments listed below.

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS

Blind Person’s Pension
Carer’s Allowance
One Parent Family Payment
Disability Allowance
Farm Assist
Jobseeker’s Allowance (where held for 391 days or more)
State Pension (Non-Contributory)
Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)
Pre-retirement allowance
Widow’s/Widower’s (Non-Contributory) Pension

SOCIAL INSURANCE PAYMENTS

Carer’s Benefit
One Parent Family Payment
Invalidity pension
Incapacity Supplement
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit (Orphan’s pension)
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit (pension for a widow or widower)
State Pension (Contributory)
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)
Jobseeker’s Benefit (continuous for at least 12 months)
Widow’s/Widower’s (Contributory) Pension
State Pension (Transition)

FAMILY INCOME SUPPLEMENT (FIS)

DESIGNATED PROGRAMMES

Back to Work Allowance (Employees)
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
Community Employment Scheme
Rural Social Scheme
FÁS Training Programmes, including Apprenticeships
Part time job incentive scheme
Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)

OTHERS

In receipt of payments under the Fáilte Ireland Skills Programme equivalent to a social welfare payment;
In receipt of payments under the FIT (Fastrack to IT) initiative equivalent to a social welfare payment;
Participants on a training course approved by a Government Department, State Agency or Area Partnership and who were in receipt of an eligible payment prior to progressing to the programme;
Grant aided employees in social economy enterprises;
In receipt of payments under the Senior Traveller Training Centre programmes.

Special Rate of Maintenance Grant 2010/11

Grant	Standard Grant	Special Rate Amount	Total Grant
Non Adjacent Rate	€3,250	€3,105	€6,355
Adjacent Rate	€1,300	€1,245	€2,545

Approved Courses:

The courses approved under this scheme are:

a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution
a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration pursued in a university or third-level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds in another E.U. Member State, (some courses are excluded, see scheme for details).
a full time undergraduate course of a minimum duration of one year in one of the approved institutions which represents progression from a FETAC Level 5 qualification and which leads to the award of a qualification of third level standard following a terminal examination;
a full-time undergraduate course of a minimum duration of one year in one of the approved institutions which represents progression from a National Diploma course to an "add-on" Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree) course.

What Colleges/Institutions are approved:

Grants are tenable for approved courses at Universities, Colleges of Technology and certain other Higher Education Institutions. A full list of approved institutions/universities covered by local authorities is included in the Scheme.

Courses in private colleges are not covered under the terms of the Department of Education & Science H.E.G. Scheme.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for a grant under the Scheme, a candidate must fulfil the conditions as to residence, age, academic attainments, means and nationality as specified in the Scheme.

Candidates may apply to Westmeath County Council if they/their parents/guardians were resident in the Westmeath Administrative area from 1st October prior to entering the approved course, except in the case of an independent mature student, in which case it will be the address of the student. Proof of independent residence is required in this instance.

Where Do I apply?:

Obtain an application form and scheme details from Westmeath County Council. For first time applicants please remember to include Form FA1 or Form SA1 where applicable (See documents downloads below). Application forms are also available for download from the website www.studentfinance.ie . Read everything carefully first before completing the application form.

The address at which you were resident on 1st October prior to entry to the approved course will be the authority which processes your application.

What do I need to apply?

Documents you will need:

Application Form fully completed.....leave no blanks anywhere.
Your Birth Cert.
If Parents are Self employed/farming
- Full set of accounts for the year ended 31st December, 2009.A full Notice of Assessment from the Revenue Commissioners.
If Parents are in the Paye Sector:
- P60 for year ended 31st December, 2009.
- P21 Balancing Statement from relevant Inspector of Taxes. (A P21 is obtained by forwarding P60's for the relevant year to the Inspector of Taxes. You should note that a P21 can take up to six weeks to issue therefore you should apply immediately.) If both parents are working you will require P60's for both.
If Parents are in receipt of Social Welfare:
- Letter from Social Welfare certifying amount received to 31st December, 2009
- (NOTE: Children's Allowance not taken into account.)
Final Course Acceptance Schedule Form (FA1) must be completed and submitted to the Local Authority to which you submitted your application form immediately when you have made your final acceptance of a place on an approved course for the academic year 2010/11.
An SA1 form should only be completed by students who intend attending colleges in EU member states (excluding Ireland) – Part 1 to be completed by the candidate and part 2 to be completed by the college and returned to the above address as soon as possible after registration.

These are some broad guidelines of items required and do not purport to be a full list . You must read the notes and scheme which give a more comprehensive list.