Back to education as an adult: the two routes

Adults going back to education usually assume there is nothing for them because they are past the school-leaver schemes. There are two substantial routes, and they suit opposite situations: one for people who are out of work and can study full-time, one for people who are working and can only study around a job.

VTOS — free, full-time, second chance

"The Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) is a second chance education and training programme which provides courses for unemployed people. To be eligible for the scheme, you must be over 21 years of age, unemployed for at least six months (156 days) and in receipt of specific social welfare payments. Courses are provided free of charge and meal and travel allowances are available. Courses are full-time and can last up to two years, with 30 hours attendance per week."

Read that as four conditions — over 21, six months unemployed, on a qualifying payment, and able to commit to 30 hours a week — and three benefits: free tuition, meal allowance, travel allowance.

"The VTOS scheme is operated through Education and Training Boards (ETBs). Contact your local ETB for information or search for a course on Qualifax Qualifax."

The ETB is the right first call, not a college. They will also tell you whether your particular payment qualifies, which is the condition people most often guess wrong.

SUSI part-time fee contribution — for people already working

"Fee contribution grants are available to eligible part-time students attending specified undergraduate courses in the State leading to a major award with a minimum average of 30 credits and maximum of 50 credits per academic year."

Courses run at "Level 6 Higher Certificate", "Level 7 Ordinary Bachelor Degree" and "Level 8 Honours Bachelor Degree".

"The number of ECTS credits undertaken during the academic year will determine the funding available to you for that year." It runs on a sliding scale from "5-9 ECTS | €750" through "30-34 ECTS | €4,500" up to "50 ECTS | €7,500".

It is a contribution rather than a blank cheque: "The fee contribution grant you are eligible for will not exceed the cost of the course." SUSI's own worked example — "Example 1 - If you are undertaking 30 credits and your course costs €5,000, SUSI will pay your college €4,500 and you will pay the balance of €500 to your college."

The part-time income limits

"Reckonable income must be under €64,315" with fewer than 4 dependent children, "Reckonable income must be under €70,490" with 4 to 7, and "Reckonable income must be under €76,410" with 8 or more.

And the addition worth checking before you rule yourself out: the threshold rises by "+€4,950" for each additional person attending a full-time course or an approved part-time course.

Note how much higher these are than the ordinary SUSI maintenance bands. A working household well outside the maintenance grant can still be inside this one.

Residency

"You must have been resident in the Irish State, the EU, EEA, UK or Swiss Federation for three of the last five years."

You also need to be an Irish, EU, EEA, UK or Swiss national, or hold a specific immigration status or leave to remain from the Department of Justice.

If you have recently come home after years abroad, count the five years carefully — time in the UK or elsewhere in the EU still counts towards the three.

Common questions

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