Study at ITB

Overview

Fees & Grants

Overview

The information on fees and grants provided in this section should only be used as an indicator. This section will be updated with new information as it becomes available from the Department of Education & Skills.

Full Time Student Services Charge & Tuition Fees

Student Services Charge

A charge of €2,000 is payable by each student to cover non-tuition student services such as examination entry fees, support for student services and support for student clubs and societies. Those not in receipt of a maintenance grant are required to pay the full amount by registration. These charges are regulated by the Department of Education and Skills.

When registering for the first time, those who can show documentary evidence such as a letter from the local VEC that they qualify for the ESF maintenance grant, will not be required to pay this charge.

Tuition Fees

EU Nationals

European Union nationals attending full-time undergraduate courses at ITB are not normally required to pay any tuition fees. EU nationals who are repeating a full year of study must pay tuition fees. Any EU national who is following a second or subsequent third-level course may also be required to pay tuition fees, depending on the type and duration of the previous course attended. Any EU national who has not been resident in an EU member state for 3 of the past 5 years will be liable for tuition fees.                                                                                     

You will find more information on:www.studentfinance.ie.

The rate of fees is set annually by the Department of Education & Skills.

Non-EU Nationals

Non European nationals attending full time undergraduate courses at ITB are normally required to pay tuition fees – 2011/2012 annual fee of €8,895.00 plus Student Contribution Fee of €2,000.00

Non European nationals on a student visa are required to pay the Non-EU rate of tuition fees – 2011/2012 annual fee of €8,895.00 plus Student Contribution Fee of €2,000.00

Refugees with official refugee status (at the time of first registration) are not normally required to pay tuition fees. If a student is in the process of seeking asylum, they are considered as non-EU Nationals.

Any non-EU National who has been legally resident in an EU member state for at least three of the last five years: (excluding periods of time covered by student visas) may qualify to pay tuition fees at the EU rate. It is a requirement that documentary evidence of residency and the duration of residence in the EU member state is provided to qualify for the EU rate of tuition fees. For some additional information please click here.

Please note:

Students are responsible for the payment of fees and any charges by the stated due dates. If you are unclear about your own individual circumstances and the consequence for paying fees please contact the Fees & Grants Section directly on (01) 885 1000. Fees are subject to change as directed by the Department of Education & Skills and are approved by the Institute's Governing Body.

Maintenance Grant Schemes:
See below for changes to the student grant arising from Budget 2011
The student grant is the main source of financial help available from the Irish State for students in full-time Post Leaving Certificate Courses (PLCs) and full-time higher education undergraduate/postgraduate courses. Support is available to eligible students in most colleges in Ireland as well as eligible Irish students in many colleges in Northern Ireland, the UK and other EU States. For eligible students, the grant is there to help with the various costs of participating in further or higher education. Students on part-time courses, access or foundation courses (in higher education institutions) and short courses are not eligible to apply for a student grant.
Family and/or personal income is a key factor that will be assessed when you apply for a student grant but there are also some other conditions. Studentfinance.ie can help you to assess whether you are eligible and guide you in starting the process. In all cases, the official decision on eligibility is of course made by the grant-awarding bodies.

If you think you are eligible for the student grant, you should apply for it as soon as possible. The application process for 2011-12 is now open. You do not have to wait until you receive an offer of a place or enroll in college. Only when your application has been completed in full and submitted to the grant-awarding authority can your eligibility be determined.

The initial closing date for receipt of completed applications by the grant-awarding agencies for the 2011/12 academic year is 31 August 2011, however grant-awarding agencies may at their own discretion accept applications for a period of time after this date.

Full details on the Student Grant scheme 2011, including associated legislation, are available on studentfinace.ie

SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO STUDENT GRANT AS A RESULT OF BUDGET 2011
Three measures were announced in Budget 2011 relating to the student grant schemes:
A: Reduction in overall rates of grant

• A reduction of 4% is to be applied to the rates of all student grants.
• This reduction applies to all existing grant holders and to new grant holders alike.
• The implementation date is January 2011.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

B: Qualifying distance criterion for non-adjacent rate of grant

• The qualifying distance criterion for entitlement to the higher non-adjacent rate of grant (distance from home to the higher education institution) has been changed from 15 miles (24 kilometres) to 45 kilometres.   
• This measure applies to all students.
• The implementation date is the start of the 2011-2012 academic year.

C: Automatic entitlement of mature students to non-adjacent rate of grant.

• The automatic entitlement of mature students to the higher non-adjacent rate of payment has been removed.
• The implementation date is the start of the 2011-2012 academic year. 

Where to Apply
You should apply to the Vocational Education Committee in your home area if you have applied for or will be attending an approved course in one of the following institutions in the 2011/12 academic year:

• an approved Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) centre;
• an Institute of Technology.

You should apply to the local authority in your home area if you have applied for or will be attending an approved course in one of the following institutions in the 2011/12 academic year:

• a university;
• a prescribed educational institution in Ireland (for example a college of education);
• an approved undergraduate course in an approved educational institution in the EU;
• an approved postgraduate course in an approved educational institution in Northern Ireland.

Note: If you were previously in receipt of a student grant you should re-apply to the grant awarding authority who previously processed your student grant application.
Continuing Students
Student grants awarded under the student grant schemes are reviewed each year. If you held a student grant in 2010-11 and are continuing your studies on this course in the 2011-12 academic year, your local authority or VEC will be in contact with you in order to renew or re-assess your student grant for 2011-12.
To be eligible for financial assistance under the student grant schemes, you must be entering an approved full-time course in an approved institution. You must also satisfy the eligibility conditions for the relevant scheme which include age, nationality, residence, academic progression and means. If you are unsure about the terms of a scheme or whether the course you intend to pursue is an approved course in an approved institution, you should contact your local authority or VEC, or read the schemes on www.studentfinance.ie.

Payment of TLT Student Grants for level 6 & & 7 students
Awarded grants will paid directly into a student’s bank account, for categories, rates and payment schedule dates please click here.

Payment of HEG Student Grants for level 8 students
Awarded grants are paid in three installments either by cheque or EFT payment depending on the payment method of your awarding authority.

Back to Education Allowance
The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) allows people in receipt of certain social welfare payments to retain those payments whilst participating in approved full-time courses in further and higher education.

The BTEA allows qualifying persons to return to full-time education in approved courses while continuing to get income support. Approved programmes range from foundation courses to postgraduate courses.

Participants receive a standard rate of payment that is not means-tested.
From September 2010, students entering a new course who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance will no longer be eligible for a maintenance grant. Such students can, however, apply under the relevant maintenance grant scheme to have the student services charge and any tuition fees payable for the course paid on their behalf.

Students currently in receipt of the BTEA and the maintenance grant will continue to be eligible for both payments for the duration of their current course provided they meet the terms and conditions of the scheme. For further information is available on www.studentfinance.ie or www.welfare.ie

Part Time Tuition Fees - 2011/2012
Courses are priced individually; please see the ITB Part Time prospectus and course details on: www.itb.ie

If you have a query please do not hesitate to contact the Fees & Grants Section on (01) 8851000.