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MAINTENANCE
GRANTS SCHEME FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING
POST LEAVING CERTIFICATE COURSES, 2008
Name of Vocational Education Committee: CO. ROSCOMMON
V.E.C.
CLAUSE 1: DEFINITIONS
In this scheme:
"approved course" means a full-time Post
Leaving Certificate (PLC) course of at least one year duration approved by
the Minister for Education and Science for the purposes of this
scheme.
(The list of approved PLC courses is available from the Vocational
Education Committee);
"candidate" means the person in respect of
whom a grant is being sought;
"candidate other than a mature candidate" means every
candidate other than a mature candidate who is eligible to be considered
under this scheme;
"mature candidate" means a candidate who is
at least 23 years of age on the 1st of January of the year of entry to an
approved PLC course;
"mature candidate dependent on parents" means a mature
candidate who was ordinarily resident with her/his parents from 1 October,
2007;
"independent mature candidate" means a
mature candidate who was not ordinarily resident with her/his parents from
1 October, 2007
dependent children" means
children, including foster children, of a candidate's parents or guardians
or children of an independent mature candidate, as the case may require,
who, on 1 October 2007 were:
under 16 years of age, or
16 years of age or over and
(a) are attending a full-time course of study at an
educational institution and are dependent on their parents, or
(b) are medically certified as permanently unfit for
work;
"normal residence" means the permanent or
ordinary address of the candidate's parents or guardians from 1 October,
2007. In the case of an independent mature candidate, his/her normal
residence means
the permanent or ordinary address of the independent mature candidate from
1 October 2007.
"reckonable income" means-
(a) all amounts* received or receivable by an
individual without reference to his/her residence or domicile, from
both Irish and foreign sources, which are liable to Irish Income Tax,
Irish Capital
Gains Tax or Irish Capital Acquisitions Tax, or which would be so
liable but for exemptions and reliefs contained in Irish legislation,
and
corresponding amounts received or receivable by
individuals resident in another E.U. Member State which are liable to
Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance or Gift Taxes of that
State, or
which would be so liable but for exemptions and reliefs contained in
the legislation of that State.
*The following Social Welfare and Health Service
Executive Payments should be excluded in the calculation of reckonable
income:
- Child Benefit;
- Family Income Supplement;
- Disability Allowance (where paid to the candidate);
- Blind Pension (where paid to the candidate);
- One Parent Family Payments (Means Tested);
- Guardian s
Payment (Previously known as Orphan's Pensions);
- Back to Education Allowance (Second Level and Third
Level Option);
- Foster Care Allowance;
- Domiciliary Care Allowance and
- Carer s
Allowance.
[Note: The specific calculations of the amount of
reckonable income under the various headings are contained in the
application form and the accompanying notes].
"spouse" means each person of a married
couple who are living together or a man and woman who are not married to
each other but are cohabiting as husband and wife;
"Vocational Education Committee" means
the Vocational Education Committee named in the subtitle of this scheme.
CLAUSE 2: AWARD OF GRANTS
2.1 The
Vocational Education Committee shall award grants to eligible candidates
in accordance with the terms of this scheme. A candidate shall not be
eligible to hold a grant under this scheme if
s/he holds another award payable from public funds in Ireland or from
other EU Member States except where a candidate is in receipt of a VTOS
training allowance. Such awards payable from
public funds do not include awards to candidates under the Millennium
Partnership Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities.
CLAUSE 3: PERSONS TO WHOM THIS SCHEME APPLIES
This scheme applies to:
3.1 Candidates who are entering approved PLC
courses for the first time in the 2008/09 school year;
3.2 Candidates are ineligible if they already hold a FETAC
Level 5 qualification (formerly known as a FETAC (NCVA) Level 2
qualification), a FETAC Level 6 qualification (formerly known as
a FETAC (NCVA) Level 3 qualification) or a third level qualification
at Level 6 or higher. However, notwithstanding this condition
candidates who already hold a qualification no higher than FETAC
Level 5 (formerly known as a FETAC (NCVA) Level 2) and are now
pursuing a course that offers progression may be deemed eligible for
grant aid.
CLAUSE 4: ELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATES
To be eligible for a grant under this scheme, a
candidate must fulfil the following conditions as to residence, age, means
and nationality.
4.1 Residence
4.1.1 The candidate's parents/guardians, or, in
the case of an independent mature candidate, the candidate
herself/himself, must have been ordinarily resident in the
administrative area of the
Vocational Education Committee from 1 October 2007. The Vocational
Education Committee shall have discretion to waive this
requirement in exceptional circumstances
4.1.2 A candidate shall not be eligible to
apply for a grant in the administrative area of more than one
Vocational Education Committee.
4.2 Age
A candidate shall be at least 16 years of age on
commencement of the course.
4.3 Means
For the award of a grant in 2008/09 school year the
reckonable income must conform to the income limits set out in Appendix I.
The reckonable income shall be determined by the
Vocational Education Committee on the basis of information supplied in the
Application Form, in accordance with the requirements of the accompanying
Notes booklet. The 2008/09
Application Form and Notes form part of this Scheme.
For the award of a special rate of maintenance grant in
respect of the 2008/09 school year, a candidate s
reckonable income shall conform to the income limits set out in Appendix
III.
The reckonable income shall be determined by the Vocational Education
Committee on the basis of information supplied in the Application Form.
4.3.3 In the case of a candidate other than an independent mature
candidate, the candidate's reckonable income shall be that of the
candidate and of the candidate's parents or guardians,
except where the candidate's parents are divorced, legally separated or it
is established to the satisfaction of the Vocational Education Committee
that they are separated, in which case,
the candidate's reckonable income shall be that of the candidate and of
the parent with whom the candidate resides. [Note: See Section 7 of the
notes accompanying the Application Form
for criteria applied by the Vocational Education Committee in establishing
separation.]
4.3.4 In the case of an independent mature candidate, the
reckonable income shall be that of the candidate and her/his spouse, if
applicable.
4.3.5 The reckonable income shall be the income for the year ended
31 December, 2007.
4.3.6 For the award of a special rate of maintenance grant a
candidates
reckonable income must, as at 31 December 2007, include one of the
payments listed in Appendix III.
4.4 Nationality
Candidates must: -
- hold E.U. Nationality; or
- have Official Refugee Status; or
- have been granted Humanitarian Leave to Remain
in the State (prior to the Immigration Act 1999); or
- be a person in respect of whom the Minister for
Justice, Equality and Law Reform has granted permission to remain
following a determination not to make a deportation order
under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999; or
- have permission to remain in the State by
virtue of marriage to an Irish national residing in the State, or be
the child of such person, not having EU nationality; or
- have permission to remain in the State by
virtue of marriage to a national of another EU Member State who is
residing in the State and who is or has been employed, or
self-employed,
in the State, or be the child of such a person, not having EU
nationality; or
- be nationals of a member country of the
European Economic Area (EEA) (see Appendix V) or Switzerland.
CLAUSE 5: VALUE OF GRANTS
5.1 The value
of grants shall be in accordance with the annual rates specified by the
Minister for Education and Science. The rates so specified for the 2008/09
school year are set out
in Appendix II.
5.2 The value
of the special rate of maintenance grant shall be in accordance with the
annual rates specified by the Minister for Education and Science. The
rates so specified for the school
year 2008/09 are set out in Appendix IV.
5.3 Full or part maintenance grants are payable at
either adjacent or non-adjacent rates. The Vocational Education Committee
shall decide the rate applicable in each particular case, in
accordance with paragraphs 5.4 to 5.6 below.
5.4 The special rate of maintenance grant shall be
payable at either adjacent or non-adjacent rates. The Vocational Education
Committee shall decide the rate applicable in each particular
case, in accordance with paragraphs 5.4 to 5.6 below.
5.5 Except in the case of mature students, the
adjacent rate of maintenance grant shall be payable in the case of a
grant-holder whose normal residence is 24 kilometres or less from
the
PLC Centre which s/he is attending.
5.6 The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant
shall be payable in all other cases, including the case of all mature
candidates who qualify, having been assessed either as a dependent
or independent mature candidate.
CLAUSE 6: ACCEPTANCE, TENURE AND CONTINUANCE OF GRANTS
6.1 Acceptance of Grants
6.1.1 A
successful candidate shall confirm to the Vocational Education Committee
the title of the course s/he proposes to follow within such period after
notification of the offer of a grant as the
Vocational Education Committee may stipulate.6.1.2 Where a
candidate is offered a grant but does not pursue an approved course in
2008/09 school year that offer of a grant shall be deemed to have lapsed.
6.2 Tenure of Grants
Grants awarded under this scheme shall only be tenable
in respect of attendance at courses approved by the Minister for Education
and Science.
6.3 Continuance of Grants
6.3.1 A grant awarded under this scheme shall be
provisional for the 2008/09 school year and shall not be continued in any
subsequent school year unless the Vocational Education Committee is
satisfied
that the provisions of this scheme continue to be complied with fully.
A grant is tenable for the normal duration of the
approved PLC course and is renewable annually subject to satisfactory
participation, attendance and the approval of the Vocational Education
Committee.
A grant-holder wishing to change her/his course must
obtain the prior approval of the Vocational Education Committee in order
to ensure compliance with the grant continuance provisions of this scheme.
A candidate who fails the year-end examinations and
wishes to repeat that year shall not be eligible for a grant in respect of
that repeat year. However, if s/he is successful in the repeat year the
grant may
be awarded for the subsequent year(s) of that course.
6.3.5 Grants may not be paid in respect of a second
period of attendance at the same level for a course approved for the
purposes of this scheme, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid
previously.
The Vocational Education Committee will have discretion to waive this
provision in exceptional circumstances such as serious certified illness.
CLAUSE 7: CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES
The eligibility of a person to whom this Scheme applies
for the award of a grant, or the level of a grant awarded, may be assessed
or re-assessed by the Vocational Education Committee in the event of
changes in circumstances relating to the following:
the candidate's reckonable income, within the
meaning of Clause 4, which is likely to be permanent (i.e. likely to
obtain for the duration of the approved course or for the foreseeable
future)
the number of dependent children;
the number of children
in full-time third level education;
(ii) attending a recognised PLC course, student
nurse training or student Garda training;
(iii) participating in a Fαilte Ireland
(formerly CERT) course of at least one year's duration;
(iv) attending a full-time Teagasc course in an
Agricultural College.
attending a recognised full-time further
education course, of at least one year s
duration, in Northern Ireland;
normal residence;
(e) Nationality, where the candidate becomes an
Irish National or the national of another EU Member State.
7.2 The income limits applicable under this
Scheme in cases under Clause 7.1(a) or (b) or (c) above shall be those
of the scheme of the year in which the change of circumstances occurs.
7.3 Where an adverse change in the reckonable
income occurs awards or adjustments in cases assessed under this
clause shall normally be made with effect from the month in which the
change in circumstances
occurs
7.4. Where a positive change in reckonable
income occurs during a school year, any grant awarded shall continue
to be paid until the end of that school year. However such
grant-holders shall be re-assessed
before the grant is renewed for the following school year.
CLAUSE 8: PAYMENT OF GRANT
8.1 The
Vocational Education Committee shall pay the grant-holder's maintenance
grant in monthly instalments in arrears during the school year. Payment
shall be made subject to satisfactory participation and
attendance on the PLC course.
CLAUSE 9: APPLICATION FOR GRANTS
9.1 Grant
applications must be made on the official application form*, which
is available from the Vocational Education Committee. This form, which
covers applications for both the ordinary and special rates
of maintenance grant, duly
completed, must reach the Committee not later than 29th
August 2008.
The Committee may, however, accept
an application which is not received on time and may, at its own
absolute discretion, treat such application as if it had been received on
time. *The 2008/09 Application Form and Notes form part of this
Scheme.
9.2 A candidate whose application is deemed to be late may have
his/her application processed and be awarded a grant from the commencement
of the following year of her/his course.
9.3 It shall be a condition for the acceptance of
an application under this scheme that, in connection with the processing
of the application, the parents/guardians of a candidate or, in the case
of an independent
mature candidate, the candidate herself/himself and her/his spouse, if
applicable, authorise: -
(i) the Vocational Education Committee and the
Department of Education and Science to seek the assistance of, and
supply any relevant information and documents to the Revenue
Commissioners;
(ii) the Revenue Commissioners and the Department
of Social and Family Affairs to supply any relevant information
or documents from their records to the Vocational Education Committee
and the
Department of Education and Science and to make any enquiries and seek
any documents they consider necessary to enable them to assist the
Vocational Education Committee and the Department
of Education and Science;
(iii) the Vocational Education Committee to
transfer the Application Form to another VEC should that become
necessary;
(iv) the Vocational Education Committee/Department
of Education and Science to transfer information from the grant
application to a central database which may be accessed by the
Revenue
Commissioners and the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
CLAUSE 10: DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
10.1 Details of
the amount of grant payable under this scheme in respect of a grant holder
may be made available to other Government Departments/Offices and public
service agencies, subject to compliance
with the Data Protection Acts, 1988 and 2003. Vocational Education
Committees are requested to ensure that VEC Officials, Committee Members
and Relevant External Members are aware that any data
held by the VEC in relation to students grant applications may not be
published and any data held by the VEC in relation to individual students
is subject to the terms of the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003.
CLAUSE 11: DECLARATION OF INCOME AND OTHER INFORMATION
11.1 A
declaration of reckonable income shall be made by the candidate and the
candidate's parents or guardians or, in the case of an independent mature
candidate, by the candidate and the candidate's spouse,
if applicable, and they shall submit to the Vocational Education
Committee such information and documentation as may be required by it to
process the application in full. It will be the responsibility of
applicants
to ensure that the statement of income and other details sought is full
and complete in every respect.
If an applicant's failure to provide this full and complete information be
the result of a deliberate material omission or inaccuracy, the
applicant(s) will be liable to prosecution, loss of grant
and repayment, with interest, of any portion of a grant already received.
CLAUSE 12: DETERMINATION OF DISPUTES
12.1
Where an applicant has been refused a grant under this Scheme by a
Vocational Education Committee, he or she may appeal that decision to that
Vocational Education Committee. Where, following
the exhaustion of this appeal procedure, the applicant is of the view that
the Vocational Education Committee has interpreted or construed this
Scheme incorrectly, he or she may submit his or her question
or dispute as to that interpretation or construction to the Minister for
Education and Science, whose determination thereon shall be final.
APPENDIX
I
2008
MAINTENANCE GRANTS SCHEME FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING PLC COURSES
Reckonable Income Limits for the ordinary rates of
grant+
for the period 1 January 2007 to 31 December, 2007 (the tax year 2007)
|
Number of Dependent Children |
Full Maintenance |
Part Maintenance
(75%) |
Part Maintenance
(50%) |
Part Maintenance
(25%) |
|
Less than 4 |
39,760 |
42,235 |
44,720 |
47,205 |
|
4 7 |
43,680 |
46,415 |
49,145 |
51,880 |
|
8 or more |
47,430 |
50,400 |
53,360 |
56,320 |
+ In the 2008/09 school year where 2 or more children
(or the candidate's parent) are pursuing a course of study listed below
the reckonable income limits may be increased by 4,815 where there are
2 such children,
9,630 where there are 3 such children and so on, by increments of 4,815.
attending full-time third level education;
attending a recognised PLC course, student nurse
training or student Garda training;
participating in a Fαilte Ireland (formerly CERT)
course of at least one years duration;
attending a full time Teagasc course in an
Agricultural College;
attending a recognised full-time further education
course, of at least one year s
duration, in Northern Ireland.
APPENDIX
II
2008
MAINTENANCE GRANTS SCHEME FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING PLC COURSES
Maintenance Grants Rate
|
|
Non-Adjacent Rate |
Adjacent Rate |
|
Full Maintenance |
3,420 |
1,370 |
|
Part Maintenance (75%) |
2,565 |
1,030 |
|
Part Maintenance (50%) |
1,710 |
685 |
|
Part Maintenance (25%) |
855 |
345 |
APPENDIX III
SPECIAL RATE OF
MAINTENANCE GRANT
For the award of a special rate of maintenance grant in
respect of the 2008/09 school year, a candidates reckonable income (for
the period 1 January 2007 - 31 December 2007, the tax year 2007) shall not
exceed: -
20,147
net of standard exclusions (as set out in
Clause 1 of this Scheme)
and
net of Child Dependant Increase (C.D.I.) paid
by the Department of Social and Family Affairs
As at 31 December 2007, this reckonable income must include one
of the social welfare payments listed below.
LIST OF ELIGIBLE PAYMENTS
1. SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS
New
Name
Old Name
|
Blind Person s
Pension |
|
|
Carer s
Allowance |
|
|
One Parent Family Payment
|
Deserted Wife s
Allowance
Lone Parent s
Allowance
Prisoner Wife s
Allowance |
|
Disability Allowance |
|
|
Farm Assist |
|
|
Jobseeker s
Allowance (where held for 391 days or more) |
Unemployment Assistance |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
Old Age (Non-Contributory) Pension |
|
Guardian s
Payment (Non-Contributory) |
Orphans (Non-Contributory) Pension |
|
Pre-retirement allowance |
|
|
Widow s/Widowers
(Non-Contributory) Pension |
|
APPENDIX
III (continued)
2. SOCIAL INSURANCE PAYMENTS
New Name Old Name
|
Carer s
Benefit |
|
|
One Parent Family Payment |
Deserted Wife s
Benefit |
|
Invalidity pension |
|
|
Incapacity Supplement |
Unemployability Supplement |
|
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit (Orphan s
Pension) |
|
|
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit (pension for a widow or
widower) |
|
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
Old Age Contributory Pension |
|
Guardian s
Payment (Contributory) |
Orphan s
(Contributory) Allowance |
|
Jobseeker s
Benefit (continuous for at least 12 months) |
Unemployment Benefit |
|
Widow s/Widowers
(Contributory) Pension |
|
|
State Pension (Transition) |
Retirement Pension |
3. FAMILY INCOME SUPPLEMENT (FIS)
4. DESIGNATED PROGRAMMES
Back to Education Allowance (Second Level and Third Level Option)
Back to Work Allowance (Employees)
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
Community Employment Scheme
Rural Social Scheme
FΑS Training Programmes, including Apprenticeships
Part Time Job Incentive Scheme
Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
5. OTHERS
In receipt of payments under the Fαilte Ireland Skills Programme
equivalent to a social welfare payment;
In receipt of payments under the FIT (Fastrack to IT) initiative
equivalent to a social welfare payment;
Participants on a training course approved by a Government Department,
State Agency or Area Partnership and who were in receipt of an eligible
payment prior to progressing to the programme;
Grant aided employees in social economy enterprises;
In receipt of payments under the Senior Traveller Training Centre
programmes .
APPENDIX
IV
SPECIAL RATE OF MAINTENANCE GRANT FOR 2008/09
|
Grant |
Standard Grant |
Special Rate Amount |
Total Grant |
|
Non-Adjacent Rate |
3,420 |
3,270 |
6,690 |
|
Adjacent Rate |
1,370 |
1,310 |
2,680 |
APPENDIX V
EU / EEA COUNTRIES
EU Country EEA Country
Austria v
v
Belgium v v
Bulgaria v v
Cyprus v v
Czech Republic v v
Denmark v v
Estonia v v
Finland v v
France v v
Germany v v
Greece v v
Hungary v v
Iceland X v
Ireland v v
Italy v v
Latvia v v
Liechtenstein X v
Lithuania v v
Luxembourg v v
Malta v v
Netherlands v v
Norway X v
Poland v v
Portugal v v
Romania v v
Slovakia v v
Slovenia v v
Spain v v
Sweden v v
United Kingdom v v
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