18,000 students approved for help
They should now be fully prepared to plan budgeting for accommodation and other costs if they get offered a college course on Monday from the CAO.
The newly approved applicants are among about 52,000 who have been notified by Student Universal Support Ireland that they will have fees covered. Most will also receive maintenance grants up to almost €6,000.
The grants agency has approved almost 44,000 people, who were already in receipt of support during the last college year and assistance will be continued when they resume their studies.
Around 108,000 people are expected to apply this year for help from Student Universal Support Ireland, and 92,700 had already done so by last Wednesday, when 58,500 students received their results.
More than 47,000 have applied for Third-Level places but they will not be certain if they will be successful, or which course and at what college they will secure, until Monday’s CAO Round 1 offers.
The scheme has been open since April last for any prospective college student to apply to the student support scheme, as it can decide in advance if an applicant is eligible based on their family financial circumstances and other factors.
The scheme also provides financial assistance for those planning to attend further education courses.
Earlier this week, almost 33,000 applications were still awaiting determination, including most of the 9,500 people who applied since July 13. That was the deadline by which claimants are assured of having their cases processed in priority order over later applications.
The student support scheme is currently taking around five weeks from receipt of an application to issue a decision, but this is only if full documentation and information have been supplied. If an applicant needs to provide additional material in support of their case, it may be a further five weeks after it is supplied to the grants body before the outcome is known.
The impact of this year’s changes to the Leaving Certificate grades and a new set of corresponding CAO points for each exam grade will not be certain until Monday. However, a key figure in the design of the reforms has suggested it should not be significant.
Maynooth University president Philip Nolan, this week, told the Irish Examinerthat he does not expect variations beyond 10 to 15 points in either direction on the majority of courses, similar to other years.
Meanwhile, students have until Tuesday afternoon to give notice they want to view their marked exam scripts.
While it is not necessary to do so to lodge an appeal with the State Examinations Commission, teachers can advise at their school at a script viewing on September 1 or 2if they have a case.
However, with the new Leaving Certificate grades awarded by the commission now separated by 10% instead of 5% it is very likely there will be fewer appeals than the 9,800 submitted in 2016 by 5,661 students.
National Parents’ Council helpline will be open 8am-7pm on Monday and Tuesday, and until 1pm on Wednesday.
