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Services
1. What Authority do I apply to?
3. What happens if my income changes during the academic year?
4. What supporting documentation do I need?
5. What are the residency requirements?
6. How do I apply as an Independent Mature Candidate?
1. What Authority do I apply to?
This depends on two things:
a. Where you were living on the October before you started college.
b. What type of college you hope to attend.
You must apply to the authority whose administrative area includes your address, e.g city council for areas within the city boundary only. Secondly, you should apply to the City Council or County Council if you hope to attend a National University or college in Northern Ireland/UK. If you wish to attend other colleges, e.g. all I.T.'s, St John's College, you should apply to either the County VEC or City VEC.
2. When should I apply?
Application forms are available from July each year and you should apply as soon after that date as possible. Application forms and notes are also available on the City Council Website from that date.
3. What happens if my income changes during the academic year?
You should notify us immediately on either a positive or adverse change.
4. What supporting documentation do I need?
A checklist is contained in the application form pack and each application differs in the amount of documentation needed. However, the following are needed in every application:
- Long Form Birth Certificate.
- Form FA 1 and CAO Offer/Course Offer Letter.
- All Income Details re. The year prior to attending college.
- Details regarding residency.
5. What are the residency requirements?
These are listed in great detail in the Higher Education Grants Scheme contained in the application pack. Briefly however, if you are living with your parents you will be assessed under them and your residency is at your family home address. If you are living away from your parents you will need to prove this by way of utility bills or lease agreements.
6. How do I apply as an Independent Mature Candidate?
To meet this criteria you must be over 23 on the 1st of January before your course starts. Also, you must be able to prove that you were at a different address from that of your parents/guardians. To do this, you should supply utility bills or lease agreements dating from the October prior to starting the course through to the date of making the application.
7. How are payments made?
Cheques for fees and maintenance are sent to colleges - not to individual students' addresses. After being awarded a student should bring their award letter and college ID with them to the fees office to collect the grant.
8. When are payments made?
Cheques are sent out three times a year and cover each semester. The first issue takes place in October. The second and third payments go to the colleges in January and at Easter respectively.
