Your questions answered by Brian Mooney
Having read the recent article in The Irish Times regarding the opportunities for Irish students in the UK and Northern Ireland, I have been actively exploring a range of courses through UCAS. I am unclear how I would stand financially, given the introduction of top-up fees in the UK from September 2006. If I took a course with a placement year, would I have to pay fees for that year?
The recent changes in the fees that UK colleges are permitted to charge to all students has changed dramatically the cost for students from the Republic of Ireland studying in the UK. From September 2006 almost all colleges in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will charge the new top-up fees of £3,000 (€4,430) per year.
Students accepting places in any universities in the above jurisdictions will have the option of deferring payment of those fees until after they leave their studies, by taking out a subsidised loan for fees. To apply for this loan, students must complete an application form, which will be available in April 2006 from the DFES website www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport.
The criteria for students applying for the loan for tuition fees are as follows:
You must be a national of an EU country, or the child of an EU national, on the first day of the first academic year of your course.
You must have lived in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland throughout the three years immediately before the start of the first academic year of the course for which you are seeking help with your fees. If you (or your parents) have been temporarily employed or temporarily absent from the EEA or Switzerland, you may still be eligible. You will, however, need to provide evidence of the temporary employment or absence.
You must intend to complete the whole course, which is "designated" under the Student Support Regulations, and obtain the UK qualification.
The Student Loans Company (SLC) is responsible for ensuring repayments of the loan are made when they fall due, and it has established procedures for recovering loans from graduates living and working outside the UK. All students taking out a loan are required to sign a declaration agreeing to repay, even if they move abroad.
Regarding your question concerning a "sandwich" year, where courses include a placement year, the fees payable are half of the full year, if you attend the university for 10 weeks or less during that academic year. The full year's fees will be charged if you attend the university for more than 10 weeks.
In Scotland, fees will be increased to £1,700 (€2,510) in September 2006 for all courses, but will be paid in full on behalf of all qualifying EU students by the Scottish Executive, via Student Award Agency Scotland, for both Scottish and EU nationals. Tuition fees will be paid, by SAAS to the college or university directly. This arrangement came about because the Labour Party depends on the Liberal Democrats for a majority in the Scottish parliament, and a condition of their participation in government is the absence of tuition fees for undergraduate students in Scottish universities.
The issue of financial support in the form of a loan for maintenance also concerns Irish students. Unfortunately, to be eligible to apply for the loan for living costs and - in some cases - the Higher Education Grant, a person must have been resident in the UK for at least three years prior to the start of their studies.
You are entitled to apply for a Higher Education Grant from your own local authority in the Republic. Your eligibility for such a loan will be determined by the local authority in which you were living on October 1st, 2005.
A full list of council websites and contact details can be found at www.environ.ie/DOEI/DOEIHome.nsf/wvNavView/LocalAuthorities. If you are eligible for a maintenance grant, the relevant council will issue three payments of maintenance grant in three equal instalments as early as possible in each of the three terms.
• Brian Mooney is president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. E-mail questions to bmooney@irish- times.ie
