Question
My daughter has just been offered a deferred place on her first choice CAO course following an upgrade on one of her Leaving Cert rechecks, which she received on Friday last.
She is studying on her third course choice in Galway, where she is enjoying the programme, but would now prefer to accept her deferred offer for next September. Will she have to pay the full economic cost you refer to in a recent Irish Times article next year if she continues on her existing course for the rest of the year?
Similarly, will she remain eligible for a Susi grant?
Answer
There are a number of circumstances under which your daughter can qualify under the Free Fees Initiative, which generally does not apply when a student repeats year one.
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Free fees are allowable where a student repeats year one, where in their “repeat year” the student commences the course of study in the chosen institution which they had originally applied for on their CAO application, but where following a Leaving Certificate recheck and upgrade, not having received sufficient points from their initial Leaving Certificate results, and where the student cannot be accommodated by the institution on their higher choice of study in year one, as all places have been filled, and the student is therefore granted a deferral so that they can commence on their higher choice of study the following year.
Alternatively where the institution has a place for the student on their higher course of study, but due to commencement of the course in September, together with intensive course content, the Institution confirms that it would be unfeasible for the student to make up the study time lost and a deferral is granted for one year, the student will still qualify for “free fees” in their repeat year.
If, however, following a Leaving Certificate recheck and upgrade, an institution can accommodate a student on their higher choice of study and the circumstances in the above paragraph does not apply, but the student seeks to defer this option, the student must be advised by the institution that he/she will not be eligible for free fees for year one of their higher choice, should they take up their higher choice of course the following year.
In those circumstances, the students will be billed by the college with the full economic cost of the first year of the higher option course and will revert to the “Free Fees” scheme in year two. This cost will vary from institution to institution and between courses based on the delivery costs of specific programmes.
The no-fees scheme should not be confused with the €2,500 registration charge, payable by all students annually, unless exempted through the Susi grant scheme.
The situation in relation to eligibility for a grant from Susi is more straightforward. If having met the eligibility criteria for a grant from Susi your daughter ends up completing the first year of a level 8 programme which she was initially offered and accepted in round one, and in the following year commences into the higher course choice which she was subsequently offered following a successful appeal of one or more of her Leaving Cert results, she may be eligible for funding from SusiI for year one of the higher course choice. She will need to make an application to Susi next year where she should provide information on why she is repeating first year and she will also be required to share documentary evidence. As Susi administers funding based on an annual scheme, this is subject to change.
Given that she is enjoying her current course, she will certainly benefit long term from the additional year both socially in learning to manage living away from home and in terms of her CV when entering the labour market eventually.
askbrian@irishtimes.com
