Financial Support

The range of schemes and measures available to assist students in Further Education Colleges include:

• Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) 

• Back To Education Allowance (BTEA) 

• Maintenance Grant Scheme

• Fund For Students With Disabilities 

• Other Funding

 

The Department of Education & Science publishes a free booklet every year entitled 'Financial Support for Further and Higher Education'. A copy is available from their Student Support Unit on 0506-21363 or 01-8734700. This booklet has information on different schemes and also contains the phone numbers of all VECs.

Studentfinance.ie provides comprehensive and user-friendly information on the range of financial support schemes and programmes available to full-time further and higher education students.
 

 
Changes to Students Grants in Budget 2010

 

Budget 2010, which was announced on 9 December 2009, introduced several changes to student support schemes.

• Student grants and scholarships were reduced by 5% with effect from January 2010.
• Recipients of the Back to Education Allowance and VTOS are no longer eligible for student support grants.
• Support under the Millennium Partnership Scheme was withdrawn.