To qualify for a grant you must satisfy a means test - your income must be below a certain level.

1. How do I know if I am eligible?

* Age: You must be at least 17 years of age by 1st of January of before commencing the course. Post Leaving Cert students should be at least 16 years of age on commencement of the course
* Residence: You should apply to the relevant awarding body for the area in which your parents/guardians were living last October - except for independent mature candidates (23 years or over not living with parents) who should apply to where they were ordinarily resident from October 1st of the year prior to going to college.
* Nationality: Candidates must hold EU nationality or have official refugee status or have been granted leave to remain in the state for humanitarian or other specified reasons
* Academic Requirements: Candidates must be attending a full time course in an approved institution. Candidates must not have previously received a maintenance grant for the same or higher level of study.
* Means: To qualify for a grant you must satisfy a means test - your income must be below a certain level.

2. When and How do I apply?

* Application forms are usually available in July every year. Phone your local VEC or Co. Council
* You must fill out the application form with the relevant documentation and send it back to your local VEC or Co. Council (as appropriate) before the deadline (generally 31st Aug).
* The relevant authority may however accept an application which is not received on time. If you need help when filling out the application forms, call into the Dun Laoghaire Youth Information Centre.

3. Where to apply?

The general rules are as follows:

1. Doing a Post-Leaving Certificate Course (PLC) - Apply to local VEC.
2. Doing a Level (Higher Certificate) or Level 7 (Ordinary Bachelor Degree) - Apply to local VEC.
3. Doing a Level 8 (Honours Bachelor Degree) - Apply to local

4. How does the Means Test Work?

The income that is assessed must be at or below a certain amount (the ‘reckonable income’). The reckonable income for 2008 /09 is as follows:

No. of Dependent Children	Full Maintenance	Part Maintenance (75%)	Part Maintenance (50%)	Part Maintenance (25%)
Less than 4	€39,760	€42,235	€44,720	€47,205
4-7	€43,680	€46,415	€49,145	€51,880
8 or more	€47,430	€50,400	€53,360	€56,320

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


Where two or more children (or the applicant’s parent) are pursuing a course of approved study in third level or further education, the reckonable income limits were increased by increments which, for the 2008/09 academic year are as follows:- €4,815 where there are two such children, €9,630 where there are three such children and so on by increments of €4,815.

5. How much do I get?

It depends on where you live and how much you and your parents’ earn.

	Non-Adjacent Rate Live more than 24km from college*	Adjacent Rate Live 24km or less from college*
Full Maintenance	€3,420	€1,370
Part Maintenance (75%)	€2,565	€1,030
Part Maintenance (50%)	€1,710	€685
Part Maintenance (25%)	€855	€345

*All Mature students eligible for grants are paid at the Non-Adjacent rate

Student Service Charge of up to €825 payable in respect of all grant holders pursuing courses where free fees apply, was paid directly to the college/ institution. Registration fees are not paid for PLC’s

Special Rates of Maintenance Grant ‘Top—Up Grants’, as outlined below are available to those where total income for the Tax Year 2007 was below €20,147 and who are in receipt of an approved Social Welfare Payment. The reckonable income for 2008 / 09 is as follows:

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