Honestly, the Local Authorities make up (and, indeed, apply) the grant criteria as they go along. I was at the receiving of shocking incompetence when applying for my grant, albeit for my degree, last year and involved a month screaming down the phone at my Council, I nearly had to drop out because of their mistake but for I noticed it. In the end they would not even apologise.
Worst case scenario go and see a TD. I am loathe to recommend the parish pump approach but it is better then worrying or being fecked over. If you are training in Dublin also check out the DSBA bursary. Best of luck and as you said persevere. On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 11:38 AM, AngelZZ <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > I have been a member of this group since i started my FE1s in 2007 and > i was wondering if anyone in this group has come across this problem > this year. > > Firstly i successfully completed my FE1s in 2 sittings so anyone > struggling with them at the moment keep with it and persevere. it > will be worth it in the end. I completed them in april 2008 and since > july 2009 i have been working and done 1 years work in office before > blackhall. I have been living in Dublin and receiving a minimum wage > since then also. I intend to go to blackhall in september. > > I did my masters the year before last and was assessed under my mother > income for the grant. I enquried with my local authority at the time > who noted that PPC1 and 2 is a higher qualification and once your > courses are progressive education you are covered under the grant > scheme. The usual rule was that once you showed you had lived out of > home from the october prior to your application for a grant, you could > receive the full amount based on your own income. as i receive > minimum wage i would be well with in the range. However since june > 2010 the Dept of Education have increased this time to 3 years and > they are now saying that i have to have a 3 year break between > applying on my own and from the time of being assessed under my > mothers income. Apparently it is stop those who were intentionally > moving out of home to get the grant on their own income. > > Terms of my training contract are that i had to do one year in the > office prior to blackhall and i cover my own fees. > > I ask however about the rest of us who are legitimate applicants, > living and working away from home with no assistance from parents. > > Has anyone elses application been rejected on this basis? it is > completley unfair, excessive, unreasonable and down right > exclusionary. I agree abuse of the system needs to be stopped but a > more just approach than this could have been implemented. > > i look forward to hearing anyones elses comments, > kind regards > rachel > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "FE-1 Study Group" group. > To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<fe-1-study-group%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/fe-1-study-group?hl=en-GB. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "FE-1 Study Group" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/fe-1-study-group?hl=en-GB.
