Mature Students: News and Events
Important Changes to Student Grants & Charges in December 2010 Budget:
We are still seeking clarity on some of these changes, particularly whether the changes in automatic entitlement to non-adjacent rate of maintenance will affect all students in 2011/12 or just new applicants. As soon as we can confirm this information, we'll provide an update.
1): All maintenance payments to be reduced by 4%, effective immediately
What this means: Your next maintenance payment will be 4% less than your previous one. If for example, your last maintenance payment was €1,083, then your next will be about €1,040.
2): The qualifying distance from the student's home to the college will be increased to 45km (from 24km) in order to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of maintenance, effective from 2011/12
What this means: Previously, if your place of residence was more than 24km from the college, you were entitled to the non-adjacent rate of maintenance. Otherwise you only the got the adjacent rate, which is considerably less. This distance has now been increased to 45km, with effect from the start of the 2011/12 academic year.
3): Mature Students no longer automatically entitled to "non-adjacent" rate of maintenance, effective from 2011/12
What this means: Previously, all mature students were entitled to the "non-adjacent" rate of maintenance (see http://www.dit.ie/study/mature/support/finance/grants/hegs/#A12 for more details on rates) regardless of how close their residence was to the college. This will change from the start of the 2011/12 academic year. All grant applicants will be assessed based on the distance their residence is from the college. Currently, it is unclear whether this will affect all grant holders or new applicants from 2011/12 onwards. As soon as we clarify this, we'll provide an update.
4): The Student Services Charge/Capitation Fee/Registration Fee will increase to €2,000 from €1,500. Effective from 2011/12
What this means: Where previously, the fee was €1,500, it will increase to €2,000 for the 2011/12 academic year and become known as the "Student Contribution Charge." If more than one person in a family is in college, only one person will have to pay the full €2,000 while all other family members pay €1,500. It has not been made clear as to whether the Student Grant will cover this €2,000 in full or not, though the grant has adjusted in the past to match changes in this fee.
Posted Thursday 27th January 2011
DIT Mature Student Information Day - Tuesday January 11th 2011
If you are an adult learner interested in applying to DIT why not come along to the Mature Student Information Day. This event is a great opportunity to get advice and information on the application process and to meet and chat with academic staff from the area of study you are interested in. There will be information available on first year undergraduate entry, Advanced Entry and Labour Market Activation programmes starting in January 2011. Bob O' Mhurcu, DIT Mature Student Support Officer, will give a talk on Finance for Mature Students. No booking required just come along on the day. Tuesday 11th January 2011, 2.30pm-7pm , DIT Aungier Street , All welcome!
New Programmes Now Available for September 2010
Under the Government Labour Market Activation Fund (LMA) DIT has a range of upskilling and reskilling opportunities now available for people who are currently unemployed. For full details please see the following link Upskill at DIT
Posted Thursday 12th August 2010
DIT Mature Student Welcome Event - September 7th 2010
The Mature Student Welcome Event will take place at DIT Bolton Street on Tuesday 7th of September, all incoming mature students are invited. The welcome event is a great way to get to know your fellow students, become familiar with the campus and services and meet some of the staff before orientation and registration starts the following week. Details will be posted out to all successful applicants. We look forward to seeing you there!
Posted Tuesday 20th July 2010
Mature Student "Maths Camp" Refresher Programme - September 8th & 9th 2010
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Starting a programme in either Science or Engineering & Built Environment in DIT this September?
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Has it been a while since you studied maths, which may be a crucial element of your chosen programme?
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Do you feel you could do with brushing up on your trigonometry, calculus or even your basic maths skills?
In association with the Student Maths Learning Centre, we will be running a Mature Students "Maths Camp" Refresher Programme this August to help you re-familiarise yourself with the kind of maths you'll need to know for your chosen programme of study. The programme is being offered free of charge to all incoming Mature Students who are starting programmes in Science, Engineering and Built Environment in 2010, including Advanced Entry students who are taking a place in second or third year.
The programme will take place over two days, with two sessions per day and cover a range of topics. A free lunch will be provided each day from 12pm - 1.30pm.
When: Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th September 2010
Time: 2 Sessions per day - 10.30am - 12pm and 1.30pm - 3pm
Where: DIT Bolton Street, Room 281
Topics:
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Session 1: Transposition of Formulae
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Session 2: Indices
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Session 3: Basic Trigonometry: Introduction of the Sine & Cosine functions
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Session 4: Basic Differentiation & Integration
We will be contacting incoming students directly to invite them to this programme, but we do need to know if you'll be attending or not, for catering purposes. If you would like to attend, please write to our Mature Student Support Officer, Bob O Mhurcu at ms.info@dit.ie with the words Mature Students "Maths Camp" Refresher Programme in the title of your email before August 27th 2010. Places are limited to 130.
See you there!
Posted Tuesday 20th July 2010
Grant Income Thresholds Unchanged for 2010/11
The Income Thresholds for grant applicants for 2010/11 are the same as those for 2009/10. Click here for more details.
Posted Wednesday 26th May 2010
2010/11 Grant Application Forms Now Available
The application forms for the VEC, TLT and Higher Education Grants are now available. Read more information and download the application form and accompanying notes here.
Posted Wednesday 19th May 2010
Applications for Mature Students Access Course
We are accepting applications for the Mature Students Access Course up until the 18th June 2010. To read more and download an application form, go to the Mature Students Access Course page.
Posted Wednesday 19th May 2010
News Update - Mature Student Advisory Evening is going ahead as planned
If you are interested in applying to DIT as a mature student why not come along to this advisory evening. It is a great opportunity to get advice and information on the application process and to meet and chat with academic staff from the area of study you are interested in. No booking required just come along on the day. Tuesday 12th January 2010, 4.30pm-7.30pm , DIT Aungier Street - All welcome!
Posted Monday 11th Januuary 2010
15th December 2009: Major Changes to Student Grants for 2010/11
The recent budget made several significant changes to the Student Maintenance Grant, some of which are with immediate effect while others will come into effect for next year. Read on for more details.
Changes with Immediate Effect from January 2010:
The value of your maintenance payment will be cut by 5% with effect from the 1st of January 2010. This will affect all students currently in receipt of grants as well as all new applicants from 2010 onwards. The grant will still pay registration fees for eligible candidates, but the effect on maintenance payments is detailed in the below table:
| Non-Adjacent Rate (Old) | Non-Adjacent Rate (New) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full Maintenance | €3,420 | €3,249 |
| 75% Maintenance | €2,565 | €2,437 |
| 50% Maintenance | €1,710 | €1,625 |
| 25% Maintenance | €855 | €813 |
| Adjacent Rate (Old) | Adjacent Rate (New) | |
|---|---|---|
| Full Maintenance | €1,370 | €1,302 |
| 75% Maintenance | €1,030 | €979 |
| 50% Maintenance | €685 | €651 |
| 25% Maintenance | €345 | €328 |
The Special Rate of Maintenance will similarly be reduced from an additional €3,270 to €3,107, reducing the total maintenance payment to a student in receipt of the Special Rate of Maintenance from €6,690 (€3,420 + €3,270) to €6,356 (€3,249 + €3,107) for Mature Students on the Non-Adjacent Rate.
The Special Rate of Maintenance will similarly be reduced from an additional €1,310 to €1,245, reducing the total maintenance payment to a student in receipt of the Special Rate of Maintenance from €2,680 (€1,370 + €1,310) to €2,547 (€1,302 + €1,245) for Non-Mature Students on the Adjacent Rate.
Note: the above figures are estimates, based on the 5% cut as lined out in the Budget. There may be slight variance in the final figures.
Changes to affect New Applicants from 2010/11 Onwards:
For new grant applicants for the 2010/11 Academic Year, the following changes have been made:
1): Students in receipt of the BTEA (Back To Education Allowance) will no longer be eligible to apply for a Student Grant. Such students will have any fees due to DIT paid for by the Exchequer (including registration fees), but will not be entitled to apply for a Maintenance Grant. Any student who is currently in receipt of both the BTEA and a Student Grant will be entitled to retain both payments.
2): Some social welfare allowances, including the Back to Education Allowance which had been previously been excluded in the means-testing process, will be now be included as reckonable income in assessing eligibility for student grants.
3): The residency requirement in the State for grant eligibility will be increased from one year to three out of the past five years for new applicants.
4): The duration of the break in studies required for re-entry as an independently assessed mature student will be increased from one year to three years.
More details will be published on these pages as soon as they become available.
6th November 2009: Win a Hoodie from the Mature Students 'Old School' Society
This year's Mature Student Society are designing hoodies and need YOU to come up with a slogan for the society. We've re-named the society "The Old School Society" and are in the process of organising hoodies and t-shirts with our new name for our members. Every society needs a motto, so we are putting it to you, our members to come up with one! Send your suggestions, along with your name, mobile number and student number, to ditmaturesoc@gmail.com before Friday, 20th November 2009. The best slogan as selected by the committee wins a brand new hoodie.
Competition open to current DIT students only.
22nd October 2009: Mature Students Society Committee Elected
Hampered somewhat by rain of epic proportions, our AGM went down well, and we elected a new committee to take the reins for 2009/10. There's more details on our plans for 2009/10 on our Mature Students Society page.
Mature Students 'Old Skool' Society Committee 2009/10:
Chair: Fionnuala Holohan, 1st Yr Journalism
Secretary: Niall Cody, 2nd Yr Forensic & Environmental Science
Treasurer: Izabela Ostapowicz, 1st Yr Business & Management
PRO: Derek Grant, 2nd Yr Mechanical Engineering
5th October 2009: Mature Students Society & Study Skills Classes
Over the course of Societies Week, better than 120 mature students signed up for the Mature Students Society! we are holding our first event of the year this week - Mature Students Bowling Night, Thursday 8th October at 8pm in the Leisureplex, Coolock. See our Facebook Invite for details!
Study Skills Classes are starting up this week also; the first class of the year will be at 1.10pm in Room 311, DIT Mountjoy Square on Tuesday 6th October. The topic to be covered is Academic Writing & Essay Preparation. There'll be free tea and biscuits, so don't miss it.
27th August 2009: Maths Camp FULL & Venue Change
Due to unprecendented demand, we have run out of space on the "Maths Camp" Refresher Course on the 1st and 2nd of September. If you are still interested in attending, we can add your name to the waiting list, in case anyone should drop out. Contact Bob O Mhurcu at ms.info@dit.ie to add your name to the list!
Due to renovations at DIT Kevin St, we have had to change the venue to Room 3067-68 at DIT Aungier St. The course starts at 10.30am sharp and a free lunch will be provided on both days in the Aungier St restaurant. See you there!
12th August 2009: Registration Schedules
The registration schedules for incoming students (first years and subsequent years) for 2009/10 have been released. Find out when and where you can register for your programme - just click on your individual DIT Campus link on the DIT Registrations page.
29th July 2009: New Grant Thresholds
The Minister for Education, Mr. Bat O'Keeffe, has announced the new Grant Income Thresholds and Special Rate of Maintenance Income Thresholds for 2009/10. The lowest Income Threshold for the grant was raised from €39,760 to €41,110 with incremental increases where the candidate has 2 or more children, while the Income Threshold for the Special Rate of Maintenance Grant was raised from €20,147 to €22,308 for the Tax Year ended 31st December 2008. The Adjacent and Non-Adjacent rates of maintenance remained unchanged.
Read more at the Department of Education's website or check our Higher Education Grants and TLT Grants pages for full details.
DIT Mature Student Welcome Event - September 8th 2009
The Mature Student Welcome Event will take place on Tuesday 8th of September, all incoming mature students are invited. The welcome event is a great way to get to know your fellow students, become familiar with the campus and services and meet some of the staff before orientation and registration starts the following week. Details will be posted out to all successful applicants. We look forward to seeing you there.
Mature Student "Maths Camp" Refresher Programme - September 1st & 2nd 2009
-
Has it been a while since you studied maths, which may be a crucial element of your chosen programme?
-
Do you feel you could do with brushing up on your trigonometry, calculus or even your basic maths skills?
In association with the Student Maths Learning Centre, we will be running a Mature Students "Maths Camp" Refresher Programme this September to help you re-familiarise yourself with the kind of maths you'll need to know for your chosen programme of study. The programme is being offered free of charge to all incoming Mature Students who are starting programmes in Science, Engineering and Built Environment in 2009, including Advanced Entry students who are taking a place in second or third year.
The programme will take place over two days, with two sessions per day and cover a range of topics. A free lunch will be provided each day from 12pm - 1.30pm.
When: Tuesday 1st & Wednesday 2nd September 2009
Time: 2 Sessions per day - 10.30am - 12pm and 1.30pm - 3pm
Where: DIT Kevin Street
Topics:
-
Session 1: Transposition of Formulae
-
Session 2: Indices
-
Session 3: Basic Trigonometry: Introduction of the Sine & Cosine functions
-
Session 4: Basic Differentiation & Integration
We will be contacting incoming students directly to invite them to this programme, but we do need to know if you'll be attending or not, for catering purposes. If you would like to attend, please write to our Mature Student Support Officer, Bob O Mhurcu at ms.info@dit.ie with the words Mature Students "Maths Camp" Refresher Programme in the title of your email before August 21st 2009.
See you there!
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Mature Students at DIT
Thinking of returning to study?
Whatever your reason for coming back to education, updating your skills, gaining a new qualification, achieving a personal goal or ambition, DIT welcomes all mature students. We know it can be daunting, but you are not alone and DIT has a range of supports in place to help you decide what course to take, get through the application process and get settled into college life.
DIT Mature Student Information Evening - January 11th 2011
An information evening for mature students applying to DIT will take place at DIT Aungier Street on Tuesday 11th of January, 4.30-7pm, all welcome. More Info
New Programmes Now Available for 2010/11
Under the Government Labour Market Activation (LMA) Fund DIT has a range of upskilling and reskilling opportunities now available for people who are currently unemployed. For full details please see the following link Upskill at DIT
Play the video below to hear from some of our current Mature Students and click the images below the video for more information for Current Mature Students, for Prospective Mature Students and for our Mature Students Access Course.
Current Students: |
Prospective Students: |
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| There's lots of information available to you, including: |
Find out what you need to know, including: |
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Contact: |
Contact: |
| Bob O Mhurcu Mature Student Support Officer 163-167 Lower Rathmines Road (01) 402 7658 ms.info@dit.ie |
Cathy McCartney Mature Student Recruitment Officer 143 Lower Rathmines Road (01) 402 3439 ms.admissions@dit.ie |
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