Higher Education Grants

How to apply

You need to complete a grant application form and return it to us. Applications must  be received by 30th October 2009. 

The Higher Education Grant application form and notes are available online at:

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp7658/view-a-sample-application-form/index.html

No Need to contact Revenue for your P21 pdf, 144kb

Meath County Council administers the Department of Education and Science Higher Education Grant Scheme at local level.

You can apply for the Higher Education Grants Scheme if you are a student undertaking an approved full-time undergraduate course of at least two years in duration or a full-time postgraduate course. You must satisfy criteria  determined by the Department of Education & Science in order to qualify for the grant. This includes academic attainment and a means test.   

How the Scheme operates:

Please note that County Meath VEC administers the following Schemes on behalf of the Department of Education & Science. The Meath VEC offices are located at Abbey Road, Navan, Co Meath. Telephone No 046/9021447

• VEC Scholarship Scheme - for Honours Degree Courses

• TLT Maintenance Grant Scheme for Trainees - for higher Certificate and Ordinary Degree Level Courses

• PLC Scheme - for approved Level 5/6 courses in PLC Colleges - students cannot be grant aided for attending Degree Courses in PLC Colleges.

Criteria to Apply

 Criteria is determined nationally by the Department of Education & Science

• Students and Parents must be Resident in County Meath from 1st October 2008

• Be at least 17 years of age on or before 1st January 2009 and in the case of the Post Leaving Cert Scheme be at least 16 years of age on commencement of the course - LONG ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES FOR STUDENTS MUST BE SUPPLIED

• Must secure a place on an approved full-time course

• Must hold E.U. nationality - refer to Nationality Clause of the Schemes for other requirements.

Criteria to be made eligible

 Means Tested - Income

• Must conform to income limits set out by Department of Education & Science

• Total gross income of the student and Parents/Guardians for the financial year 2008 - 1st January to 31st December 2008. We need to see income for full 52 weeks.

Supporting Documentation

• PAYE earners
• Social Welfare income
• Self-employed people

Income Documents Required:

• P60 for parents/applicants for all employments from employers showing number of weeks - we need to see 52 weeks of income for 2008

• P21 from Revenue Commissioners - (leaflets available on how to apply on-line)

• P45 from employer if employment ceased

• Statement from Social Welfare confirming the type of payment parents/students were in receipt of for y/e 2008, showing personal rate, adult dependent rate and CDA. (This can take up to 6 weeks)

• Letter from HSE if they were in receipt of Supplementary Welfare Allowance or Rent Allowance for year ended 31/12/2008. (This can take up to 6 weeks)

• Certified Accounts for each business including Rental Income, Adjusted Profit & Loss Account, Balance Sheet, Capital Account for any 12 month period ending between 1/1/2008 and 31/12/2008

• Notice of Assessment from Revenue Commissioners for year ending 31/12 2008

• Statements from relevant Institutions re: Investments, Interest, Dividends, SSIA Interest and Government share  received for year ended 31/12/2008

• Where parents are separated we need to see: Maintenance/Separation/Divorce Decree and proof of maintenance payments received in 2008 or sworn Affidavit before Commission for Oaths 

**Full Student Service Charge is paid where income is at or below this level.

* 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 Maintenance (100%) and Full Fees and Part Tuition Fee (50%) only categories may be increased by €4,980 where there are 2 such children, €9960 where there are 3 such children and so on, by increments of €4980.

For the Part Maintenance and Full Fees at 75%, 50% and 25%, the reckonable 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, buy 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.  

The rates of the maintenance grant for 2009/2010 are:

The adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable where the student lives 24 kms (15 miles) or less from the college he/she plans to attend. The non-adjacent rate applies to everyone else. The rates of the "Special Rate" maintenance grant are €3,270 payable to students living more than 24 kms (15 miles) away from college and €1,310 for  students living within 24kms (15 miles) of college. 

Special Rate of Maintenance Grant

To be eligible for a Top-Up Grant, Parents/Guardians/Mature Students must have been in receipt of an eligible Social Welfare Payment at 31/12/2008 see Higher Education Grant Scheme 2009 for list of eligible payments or Department of Education website www.education.ie

Candidates must qualify for the ordinary maintenance grant for the academic year 2009/2010 and total reckonable income in the tax year January to December 2008 must not exceed €22,308 net of Child Dependant Allowances and standard exclusions.

Independent mature candidates

Candidates who were ordinarily resident with their parents from October 1 of the year preceding the year of application are considered dependent on their parents and their income is assessed together with their parents income(s). Independent mature candidates are candidates over 23 who live separately from their parents from October 1 of the year preceding the year of application. They are assessed on their own income. 

For further information please visit www.education.ie