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SUSI

59,000 new grant applications received by SUSI ahead of deadline

SUSI said today that they are still accepting applications and that delays in processing seen last year are not expected to be repeated.

THE NATIONAL STUDENT grant system SUSI has said that a total of 59,000 new applications for third-level grants were received by the deadline at midnight yesterday.

The original deadline had been extended due to a technical problem with the student grant website and a spokesperson told TheJournal.ie that most students managed to get their applications in on time with 82,000 applications received, including renewals.

“We’ve received 59,000 new applications this year compared to 34,000 this time last year,” they said. “The application process started in May this year to allow the processing to start earlier with the aim of having payments ready to be made in late October.”

However they stressed that they are still accepting applications, even though the deadline has passed:

These applications will not be processed until after those received before the deadline but many have already been processed by staff at SUSI and delays seen last year are not expected to be repeated.

The spokesperson said that “lessons have been learned” from last year when a large number of students were left for months without a decision on their applications.

“There’s far less bureaucracy now, applicants used to have to furnish a lot of documents,  so arrangements have been made between government agencies to share information so applicants aren’t required to send in as much information,” they said.

There had been some complaints about the helpline yesterday but the spokesperson said it was open until midnight and dealt with 550 calls.

Applications have slowed down with just 67 sent in since last night and SUSI is expecting about another 6,000 from now.

Related: Student ‘waiting nearly a year’ for SUSI grant decision>

Read: Heads up, students: SUSI extends deadline for grant applications until Monday>

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10 Comments
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    Mute Bob Frapples
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    Aug 6th 2013, 11:51 AM

    25,000 more applicants compared to last year and “delays seen last year are not expected to be repeated.”?! I won’t be holding my breath.

    55
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    Mute Paul Doyle
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    Aug 6th 2013, 12:35 PM

    What penalties were imposed for the cock up they made of this?
    If it was a private company penalties and fines would be imposed, this is run by civil servants who made a balls of it, no accountability or responsibility.
    What an example to set for the new students, get a govt job and do what you like as badly as you like and nobody gets sacked. Brilliant!

    23
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    Mute Sandra Turner
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    Aug 6th 2013, 2:07 PM

    it isn’t run by civil servants – it was outsourced to susi

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Aug 6th 2013, 2:17 PM

    who are CDVEC

    7
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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Aug 6th 2013, 11:50 AM

    Farmers, self-employed, unemployed, roll up and get your grants for your kids.

    PAYE people who pay the most tax, nothing to see here, move along now.

    44% of people do not pay fees and do receive grants. This system is messed up. It is not right that a PAYE person paying 52% tax on income above 41k must not only pay for their own children to go to college but must also pay for the child of an unemployed person or a self-employed person. Or for a self-employed person legitimately declaring all their income and paying at a rate of 55%.

    It should be replaced with a low interest student loan system. This levels the playing field and is one more reason for people to try get back into the workforce. A loan of 3k for fees plus 5k for maintenance is 32k max over 4 years. Once graduated and working start paying it back.

    There wil be those who emigrate or try not to repay this loan but it wont be 44%. And we could easily enforce repayment from the vast majority of emigrating graduates as most of them come home for visits eventually.

    We need to remove all obstacles to work and this is one of them. It’s about time working people were treated like equals in this country instead of being beasts of burden for the other half to ride on

    51
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    Mute Shane Barry
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    Aug 6th 2013, 12:45 PM

    there’s definitely piles of people out there that get the grant when they shouldn’t, but locking people into debt isn’t right either, I know some people that have good computer science degrees and earn less then 400 a week

    35
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    Mute John F
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    Aug 6th 2013, 1:24 PM

    Too many people signing up to do College/Uni courses simply because they can get it for free plus get a maintenance payment too, it fills courses up with a lot of people who don’t really want to be there, just take a look at 1st year groups of most 3rd level courses, more than likely half won’t be there by second year, and then you get the colleges that allow grant students to scrape through on 40% average because they know their fees/capitation are guaranteed income.
    Introduce a loan scheme which puts all students on an equal footing, introduce scholarship programmes to capture gifted people from disadvantaged backgrounds who might be discouraged by loan scheme. Time to end the Freebies, nothing is free, someone has to pick up the tab!

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Aug 6th 2013, 2:20 PM

    I’ll fight ya on this one.

    20+ years working, my chosen career hit a brick wall – I’ll study, get qualified & come back stronger – & will contribute MORE in taxes for the next 20. Thank you very much.

    26
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    Mute Marita Leonard
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    Aug 6th 2013, 12:28 PM

    My brother has yet to receive his grant for the 2012/13 term and I’m assuming he’s not alone, therefore, SUSI are on the back foot already! Absolute joke.

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    Mute Parmenides
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    Aug 6th 2013, 11:47 AM

    Hopefully they can sort it out quicker then last year. Obviously, easier said than done…

    25
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