Minister to make good on promise to increase grants

Most students are familiar with the words of the Simply Red anthem

True to his promise, the Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin, is going to increase third-level maintenance grants for students from low-income families. Students whose families are social welfare dependent, could receive as much as £1,000 per annum, on top of their maintenance grants, College Choice has learned. The Minister estimates that there as many as 10,000 students in this category. Further details are to be announced shortly.

College hardship funds are also set to increase. In 1998, the Minister almost doubled the amount allocated to the hardship funds to £400,000. This money goes to assist disability and hardship cases among the student population. Despite the Minister's efforts to address issues of disadvantage at third level, the fact remains that many third-level students, who may be eligible for higher education maintenance grants, are failing to apply. A number of college personnel confirm that many students from low income families are not making grant applications - largely through ignorance. It's an indictment of schools, in particular, and the type of information they are imparting to their students. Pupils living in the greater Dublin area, for example, who come from communities where there is little tradition of going to third level, are often unaware of their eligibility, colleges say. In order to qualify for a full third-level maintenance grant, the annual family income must be no more than £19,200 - if there are fewer than four dependent children in the family. Where two or more children or the candidate's parent are pursuing full time education at third level, attending a PLC college, student nursing or Garda training, participating in CERT or Teagasc courses, the income level rises - by £2,160, where here are two such children and by increments of £2,160 per child thereafter. Income levels remain low - the above figures represent only small increases on last year's - and the likelihood is that they will remain so. The fact that half of third-level students are in receipt of maintenance grants highlights the need for specific targeting, the Minister for Education and Science believes. Similarly, maintenance grants are unlikely to increase by substantial amounts for most students. Currently, the full maintenance grant for a student living away from home is £1,690 per year - up £38 on last year. If you live less than 15 miles away from college, you can expect to receive, at most, £676.

In terms of the costs of attending college, these amounts will barely cover rent in the case of the non-adjacent rate, and bus fares in the case of students living at home. Last year, mature students received a spot of good news, however. All mature students, who qualify for a grant, now receive the higher non-adjacent rate.

There's no doubt that going to college is getting more costly. Each year, Barry Kehoe who is director of student services at DCU, compiles student cost of living figures. For the 1999-2000 academic year, he's estimated that it's going to cost £4,750 to keep a student, living away from home, at college.

Kehoe bases his figures on shared accommodation for an eight and a half month academic year. As you'd expect in Dublin, rent is the largest single cost. According to Kehoe, you can expect to pay £210 per month on rent. However, with the recent rises in property costs, some students are finding themselves having to pay even more. On top of this, you'll need £130 for food and a further £100 for books and other academic requisites; travel, clothes, laundry and medical expenses. Live at home, meanwhile, and you'll need around £2,600 to cover your annual expenses. If you are going to live away from home for the first time, you may like to consider moving into digs, which offer an evening meal, rather than going straight into self-catering accommodation. Digs can represent good value and you benefit from the fact that you get one cooked meal per day, without having to lift a finger. Rates vary, but according to Conor Power, who is TCD's student welfare officer, Dublin landladies are charging between £60 and £80 for accommodation, breakfast and dinner, seven days per week. The five-day rate, he says, is £35 to £40.

USI's annual poverty survey is based on actual student spending. For the 1999-2000 academic year, the union reckons that, if you are student living away from home, you need just under £5,000 per annum. If you live at home, however, the figure is nearly £3,000. It has to be said, though, that USI's figures contain much optional spending, including £80 per month on alcohol and £20 on tobacco. To older generations, these amounts sound crazy. Clearly, students who don't drink or smoke will be able to make considerable savings here. "It's not that much," counters TCD's Conor Power. "It's only eight pints per week - two nights out a week, drinking four pints. It's not a lot - people would easily spend that." Nonetheless, some students simply don't drink. "There are more of them than you would think," he says.

According to USI, students spend around £400 on books and academic requisites each year. Whatever you do, avoid skimping on your books and don't rush in to purchase second-hand books too quickly - they may be out of date. Books and equipment for some subjects can be more expensive than others. Legal and medical books can be particularly costly.

Depending on where you live, you could find yourself paying large sums for rail or bus tickets. "Never underestimate your travel costs," Power warns. "Depending on where you're staying, commuting costs can be considerable. A lot of students are having to move further and further away from college because of high rents. You could be spending as much as £40 per month commuting, unless you get a flat near college." There are two major sources for maintenance grants. The VEC scholarship scheme covers full-time under and postgraduate courses at UL, DCU, the ITs and a number of colleges in the non-university sector. ESF funded grants are now also available to students on approved full-time PLC courses, as well as to students on middle-level technician courses at the ITs. Apply to your local vocational education committee for grants for these three types of programme.

The Higher Education Grants Scheme, meanwhile, applies to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses at approved institutions including the universities and the institutes of technology. This scheme is administered by the local authorities. A major difference between the ESF funded grants scheme and the higher education scheme is the fact that students may transfer to a new course, even if they fail or don't complete first year, without a break in funding. Educators argue that this facility ought to be available to students who are in receipt of higher education grants.

Nowadays, most students take part-time jobs to make ends meet. USI's most recent poverty survey shows that over half of all third-level students now have part-time jobs. While part-time employment is fast becoming the norm for students, the fact remains that it does have a negative effect on your academic performance. Avoid paid employment that involves working more than 12 hours per week, is the experts' advice.