Student Grant Scheme

Dear Guidance Counsellor,

The Department of Education and Skills published the Student Grant Scheme for the 2011/12 academic year on the www.studentfinance.ie

website on Monday 27th June 2011.

As always, the emphasis is on getting students to apply as early as possible for a grant so as to avoid long delays in processing applications- many students simply don't apply until after they have received a CAO offer. Often students don't properly complete forms or send in the correct supporting documentation. This causes significant delays too. To alert school leavers to the fact that the Scheme has been published and the Student Grant Application Form is now available an e-mail alert has been arranged to issue to CAO applicants.

Up until now, there were four grant schemes. In the first major step to overhaul the student grant system, the four schemes have been replaced by a single unified scheme this year. This will make it far easier for students to apply for a grant.

Students should visit www.studentfinance.ie

to access information about student grants and to complete or download a Student Grant Application Form. Guidance notes on completing the application form are also provided for download.

A new system providing students with an online student grant application facility is currently available in 35 grant awarding authorities.

Access to the on-line application form together with a full list of the grant awarding authorities accepting on-line applications is also available on www.studentfinance.ie

As soon as students have made their final course acceptance they need to complete the relevant course acceptance form and return it to the local authority/VEC office where they submitted their student grant application.

If students have any queries in relation to their grant application they should contact the grants section of their local authority or VEC.

Please find below for your information a link to the completing an application form page on www.studentfinance.ie

http://www.studentfinance.ie/mp9532/completing-a-student-grant-application/index.html

Thank you for your on-going support and assistance,

Yours sincerely,

Nicola Healy,
Higher Education - Equity of Access,
Department of Education and Skills,
Portlaoise Rd,
Tullamore,
Co. Offaly.

057 9324387

H.Dip. in Arts in Post-Primary Education - Hibernia College

H.Dip. in Arts in Post-Primary Education

Information Webinar

On Wednesday, 29 June, at 7pm, Hibernia College is holding an information webinar about its new Higher Diploma in Arts in Post-Primary Education.
To register for the event, click here

Hibernia College’s Higher Diploma in Arts in Post-Primary Education was established to encourage a broader range of people to consider teaching as a profession by providing a more flexible route to becoming a fully qualified post-primary school teacher.

The design of the programme, blending online and face-to-face tuition, is ideal for those who want to continue working while studying for their teaching qualification. The programme is also ideal for anyone who does not have easy access to one of the traditional education providers or who doesn't have time to spend commuting to and from lectures daily.

The programme is accredited for the following 13 teaching subjects: Gaeilge, English, Modern Languages, History, Geography, CSPE, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Accounting, Business and Economics. The College will initially take applications for Accounting, Business and Economics as teaching subjects for programmes beginning in 2012. The College reserves the right, based on applicant demand, to not offer every subject at every programme start date. Any application fees paid for programmes that are subsequently not offered will be refunded.

The programme results in a HETAC Level 8 award and is fully recognised by the Teaching Council. To see a diagram explaining the National Framework of Qualifications, click here

.
Key Information

· Accreditation: HETAC (Level 8.)

· Recognition: Teaching Council

· Min. duration: 2 academic years

· Next intake: October 2011

· Tuition fees: €8,950 (tax relief available)

Note that there is no deadline. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis all year long and are considered for the next class with available places.

UCAS - Getting Ready for Your UCAS Results

Did you apply to UCAS?
If so check out this guide to getting ready for your results.

http://www.ucas.com/students/results/preparing

P.S.
Hope the exams going well.