THIRD LEVEL AND PLC COLLEGE GRANTS SCHEMES

FOR STUDENTS COMMENCING COLLEGE
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2009/2010

There are four types of Maintenance Grant

1. TLT Maintenance Grants – for students doing Higher National Certificate (Level 6) or Ordinary Bachelor Degree (Level 7) Courses at Institutes of Technologies (e.g. Dundalk) and DIT Colleges (e.g. DIT Bolton Street). TLT Grants are NOT applicable to any courses in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales.

2. VEC Scholarships – for students:

Doing Honours Bachelor degree courses (Level 8) at Institutes of Technology, DIT Colleges, NCAD, DCU, UL, NCI etc.
Progressing to degree courses at Institutes of Technology in the south of Ireland and Universities (both in Ireland and UK), having successfully completed Higher National Certificate or Ordinary Degree Courses or HND Courses (Northern Ireland and UK)
Progressing from degree courses to full-time post-graduate courses in the south and north of Ireland – no funding for post-graduate courses outside of Ireland
Attending Higher National Diploma courses at specific Colleges in Northern Ireland and UK

3. PLC Maintenance Grants – for students doing recognised PLC (Post Leaving Certificate) Courses in Colleges in the South of Ireland (e.g. MIFET in Monaghan).

Awarding Authority for 1, 2 AND 3 Above is COUNTY MONAGHAN VEC

4. HEG – Higher Education Grants – for students commencing degree courses for the first time in Universities e.g. NUIG, UCD; Teacher Training Colleges (including Northern Ireland), University of Ulster, recognised universities in EU etc.)

Awarding Authority for 4 is MONAGHAN COUNTY COUNCIL

Application Forms & Notes available NOW from:

1. County Monaghan VEC, Market Street, Monaghan

Telephone - 047 30888

Email - educ@monaghanvec.ie

Website - www.monaghanvec.ie

2. Monaghan County Council, The Glen, Monaghan

Telephone - 047 30550

Email - gcoyle@monaghancoco.ie

Website - www.monaghan.ie

or may be downloaded by following this link: Student Finance Website

N.B. – Only one application form to be completed and returned to:
Co. Monaghan VEC, Market Street, Monaghan
Telephone: 047-30888

OR
Monaghan County Council, The Glen, Monaghan
Telephone: 047-30550

Independent Mature Candidate

If you are over 23 at 1st January, 2009 and independent, your income and that of your spouse, if relevant, must be assessed

Dependent Mature Candidate

If you are over 23 at 1st January, 2009 and living with parent/s, your income and their income must be assessed

Candidate other than Mature

If you are under 23 at 1st January, 2009, your income (if relevant) and your parent/s income must be assessed

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION COMMITTEES' SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 2009

2009 Reckonable Income Limits

for the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 (the tax year 2008)

Number of Dependent Children	Full Maintenance (100%) and Full Fees	Part Maintenance (75%) and Full Fees	Part Maintenance (50%) and Full Fees	Part Maintenance (25%) and Full Fees	Part Tuition 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 - only applicable for VEC/HEG/TLT Schemes

* In the 2009/2010 academic year where 2 or more children (or the candidate's parent) are pursuing a course of study listed below the reckonable income limits for Full Maintainence (100%) and Full Fees and Part Tuition Fee (50%) only categories 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.

For the Part Maintenance and Full Fees at 75%, 50% and 25%, the reconable income limits may be increased by €4,815 where there are 2 such children, €9,630 where there are 3 such children and so on, by increments of €4,815.

(i) attending full-time third level education;

(ii) attending a recognised PLC course, student nurse training or student Garda training;

(iii) participating in a Fáilte Ireland (formerly CERT) course of at least one years duration;

(iv) attending a full time Teagasc course in an agricultural college;

(v) attending a recognised full-time further education course, of at least one year’s duration, in Northern Ireland.

2009 Maintenance Rates

	Non-Adjacent Rate	Adjacent Rate
Full Maintenance (100%)	€3,420	€1,370
Part Maintenance (75%)	€2,565	€1,030
Part Maintenance (50%)	€1,710	€685
Part Maintenance (25%)	€855	€345

2008/2009 SPECIAL RATE OF MAINTENANCE (TOP-UP)

For the award of a special rate of maintenance grant (additional to the ordinary maintenance grant) in respect of the 2009/2010 academic year, a candidate’s reckonable income (for the period 1 January, 2008 to 31 December 2008, (the tax year 2008) shall not exceed: - €22,308

›› net of standard exclusions (as set out in Clause 1 of Schemes)
and
›› net of Child Dependant Increase (C.D.I.) paid by the Department of Social and Family Affairs

As at 31st December 2008, the Reckonable Income for Top-Up MUST include an eligible social welfare payment. The list of Eligible Payments are included in an Appendix to all Schemes.

LIST OF ELIGIBLE PAYMENTS

1. SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS

New Name	Old Name
Blind Person’s Pension
Carer’s Allowance
One Parent Family Payment	Deserted Wife’s Allowance Lone Parent’s Allowance Prisoner wife’s Allowance
Disability Allowance
Farm Assist
Jobseeker’s Allowance (where held for 391 days or more)	Unemployment Assistance
State Pension (Non-Contributory)	Old Age (Non-Contributory) Pension
Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)	Orphans (Non-Contributory) Pension
Pre-retirement allowance
Widow’s/Widower’s (Non-Contributory) Pension

2. SOCIAL INSURANCE PAYMENTS

New Name	Old Name
Carer’s Benefit
One Parent Family Payment	Deserted Wife’s Benefit
Invalidity Pension
Incapacity Supplement	Unemployability Supplement
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit (Orphan’s pension)
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit (pension for a widow or widower)
State Pension (Contributory)	Old Age Contributory Pension
Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)	Orphan’s (Contributory) Allowance
Jobseeker’s Benefit (continuous for at least 12 months)	Unemployment Benefit
Widow’s/Widower’s (Contributory) Pension
State Pension (Transition)	Retirement Pension

3. FAMILY INCOME SUPPLEMENT (FIS)

4. DESIGNATED PROGRAMMES

Back to Education Allowance (Second Level and Third Level Option)

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

5. OTHERS

a) In receipt of payments under the Fáilte Ireland Skills Programme equivalent to a social welfare payment;

b) In receipt of payments under the FIT (Fastrack to IT) initiative equivalent to a social welfare payment;

c) 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;

d) Grant aided employees in social economy enterprises;

e) In receipt of payments under the Senior Traveller Training Centre programmes.

Special Rates Maintenance Grant for 2009/2010

Grant	Standard Grant	Top – Up Amount	Total Grant
Non-Adjacent Rate	€3,420	€3,270	€6,690
Adjacent Rate	€1,370	€1,310	€2,680

Full details on the 2009/2010 Schemes are available here (click on links below)

2009 PLC Scheme	2009 Scéim PLC as Gaeilge
2009 VEC Scholarship Scheme	2009 Scéim VEC as Gaeilge
2009 TLT Scheme	2009 Scéim TLT as Gaeilge

For information on obtaining a P21 on-line click on these links:

P21 Information (English)

P21 Information (As Gaeilge)

Application Forms for completion are available NOW from:

County Monaghan VEC
Administration Centre,
Market Street, Monaghan
County Monaghan.
Telephone: 047 - 30888
Fax: 047 - 30889
educ@monaghanvec.ie