Financial Supports

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Financial Supports

Student Assistance Fund

The Student Assistance fund is intended to tackle disadvantage by providing financial support to disadvantaged students who require additional financial support to enable them to fully benefit from their third-level studies.

For more information on the Institute's Student Assistance Fund click here » (PDF)

The Student Assistance Fund is financed by the Irish Government and part funded by the European Social Fund under the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme 2007-2013.

Eligible students:
Students registered with IT Carlow participating in full-time third level courses of not less than one-year duration leading to an under-graduate or post-graduate qualification.

The following are examples of situations where students experiencing financial difficulties can apply for assistance: (this is not a definitive list)

Books
Rent
Heating/Lighting bills
Food
Travel of an urgent or essential nature
Medical expenses i.e. doctor or dental visits
Family breakdown
Bereavement
Accidents
Students who have family obligations particularly in relation to childcare costs

The following services/facilities are not eligible for assistance from the Fund:

Tuition Fees
Registration Fees
Loans
Expenses unrelated to college

Please see Student Assistance Fund information leaflet for further information.

IT Carlow Student Urgent Needs Fund

Student services operate a small discretionary fund for students in extreme financial hardship and/or emergency circumstances.

For further information please contact:
The Institute Chaplain, Room 146, Nore Building, t. 059 9175612
Student Services Personnel, Room 803A, Killeshin Centre, t. 059 9175600

Local Authority or V.E.C. Maintenance Grant

Local Authority Grants, Local Authority Maintenance Grants (Higher Education Grants) Local VEC Grants

Eligible courses: Full-time courses in Institutes of Technology, Universities, Colleges of Education and any other HETAC approved college are eligible. They can be at postgraduate or undergraduate level and can include study in another EU member state.

Who is eligible:

Candidates who are entering an approved course for the first time in the 2011/12 academic year.
Mature students who are re-entering in order to complete an approved course at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

Additional information: These grants are means tested. The amount payable will also depend on the distance you live from the college. For example: If you live over 45KM from the college it is called a non-adjacent rate. If you live within 45 KM the adjacent rate. Mature students get the non-adjacent rate regardless of distance from College. You may be eligible for a proportion of the grant if you are on a higher income.

Contact your local VEC/Local Authority for more information.