Change in the definition of ‘adjacent’ and ‘non-adjacent’

 

The level of grant you get depends on how far you live from your college; the lower ‘adjacent’ grant is for students living closer to the college, while the higher ‘non-adjacent’ grant is for students living further away.

 

From September 2011, to be eligible for the non-adjacent rate of grant you must be living more than 45 km from the college. Previously, you had to be living more than 24 km from the college. This will apply to all students i.e. both new applicants and students already on the grant.

The change in this distance rule has no effect on eligibility for the student contribution.

 

 

Removal of automatic entitlement of mature students to the non adjacent-rate of grant

 

Up to now, eligible mature students automatically qualified for the ‘non-adjacent’ rate of grant no matter how close they lived to the college. From September 2011, mature students will be subject to the same distance rule as other, non-mature students, i.e. their rate of grant will depend on the distance from the college as described above. This will apply to all students, i.e. both new mature applicants and mature students already on the grant.

 

 

Anyone who is on a grant, or hopes to be, and will be studying in the 2011-12 academic year (which normally starts in September 2011) should take some time to read on and consider carefully the financial impact of the changes

 

Rates of grant  2011-12 (proposed)

 

 

 

Adjacent Rate

Non-Adjacent Rate

Special Rate

€2445

€6100

Full Maintenance

€1,250

€3,120

Part Maintenance (75%)

€940

€2,340

Part Maintenance (50%)

€625

€1,560

Part Maintenance (25%)

€315

€780

 

 

 

Notes

 

 

The adjacent rate of maintenance grant shall be payable in the case of a grant-holder whose normal residence is 45 kilometres or less from the college which s/he is attending. 

 

The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant shall be payable in the case of a grant-holder whose normal residence is more than 45 kilometres from the college which s/he is attending.

 

A "mature candidate" means a candidate who is at least 23 years of age on the 1st January of the year of entry or re-entry to an approved course.

 

Distances will be measured from the entrance of your college to your home, via the shortest route by road. Note that this need not be your usual route, or even the most convenient route.