Fees & Financial Supports for Mature Students

 

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees at MTU Cork Campus are covered by the terms of a government scheme under which the State pays the tuition fees of full-time, non-repeat undergraduate students (from Ireland and the EU) who are not graduates.

Accordingly, no tuition fees are payable, except by certain categories of students such as Non-EU students, students taking a second undergraduate course or those taking a year of a course for the second time.

Details of tuition fees payable are available from the MTU Cork Campus Finance Office. T: 021-433 5440 E: feescork@mtu.ie or on www.mtu.ie/fees

 

Student Services, Registration and Examination Fees

An annual fee*, set by the government for student services, registration and examinations is payable to the university.

For students who have been notified that they have been awarded a SUSI student grant, the fee may be paid on their behalf by the grant authority.

Other full-time students must pay the fee by a specified date, of which they will be notified.

* The fee for 2023/2024 is €3,000 plus €7 compulsory USI charge

 

Registration Requirement

All students who are successful in obtaining a place are required to complete the official MTU Registration Form before commencing or continuing their studies. This includes providing official state issued identifcation. 

Further information will be in the pack you receive from MTU Cork Campus when you accept your offer of a place on a programme of study. 

 

Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Student Grant

The SUSI 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 courses.

 Visit www.susi.ie for more information.

Before applying for your SUSI grant, we would encourage you to review the eligibility criteria by selecting your student type based on whether you are PLC, Undergraduate, Postgraduate or Studying Outside the State.

You can also use our Eligibility Reckoner where you can quickly and easily self-assess whether you may be eligible for a grant- https://susi.ie/eligibility-reckoner-app-irish/index.html

 

For eligible students, the SUSI grant may provide a maintenance grant to assist with the various costs of participating in further or higher education.

• If you are in receipt of Back to Education Allowance you will not be eligible for the maintenance element of the SUSI grant. 
• 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.

In all cases, the official decision on eligibility is made by SUSI, not MTU Cork. 

 

If you think you may be eligible for the student grant, you should apply for it as soon as the application process opens (usually in April annually) via www.susi.ie 

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 SUSI can your eligibility be determined.

 

Other sources of Student Finance- www.studentfinance.ie 

This website is a convenient and user-friendly source of information about the financial assistance schemes available in Ireland to help you progress through further and higher education.

Information is also provided in relation to eligibility requirements for free fees.

In addition, you will find all you need to know about other sources of assistance for students, such as the Fund for Students with Disabilities, the Student Assistance Fund, the 1916 Bursary Fund and the Back to Education Allowance.

Lastly, we provide details and links to a range of other organisations and websites which may be of assistance.

 

www.studentfinance.ie for all information 

 

Student Assistance Fund (SAF)

As part of an initiative to tackle educational disadvantage, an Student Assistance Fund has been made available to MTU Cork Campus by the Department of Education and Skills and the Higher Education Authority (HEA). 

The Student Assistance Fund provides financial support to eligible full or part-time students of MTU Cork Campus who are experiencing financial difficulties. Students can apply for the Student Assistance Fund to help with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties. The Student Assistance Fund is designed to provide a source of financial support in addition to the SUSI grant, but student who are not in receipt of SUSI can also apply to be considered. 

The Student Assistance Fund is administered on a strictly confidential basis and each application will be considered on the basis of the application form and the supporting documentation provided. Resources will be targeted at students most in need.

• Only students who are registered (fees paid or have a payment arrangement in place with the MTU Cork Campus Fees Office) can apply for assistance from the Student Assistance Fund.
• Student Contribution Fees or Tuition Fees are not supported via the SAF. 
• International/non-EU fee paying students are not eligible to apply for the SAF. 

For additional information visit www.mycit.ie/saf

Queries can be emailed to student.assistanceCork@mtu.ie

 

 

Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)

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.

Approved programmes range from foundation courses to postgraduate courses. You may work part-time without affecting your BTEA payment.

Students entering a new course who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance can apply for the fees element of the Student Grant but will not be eligible for the maintenance element of the grant. Such students can apply under the Student Grant Scheme (www.susi.ie) for the fees element of the grant in order to have the Student Contribution Charge and any tuition fees payable for the course paid on their behalf.

 

If you are in receipt of a One Parent Family Payment or a Disability Payment (Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit) you can choose to stay on your current social welfare payment and apply for a student grant or you can choose to transfer to the BTEA, depending on which option benefits you most. In general, people who are studying full-time are not entitled to Rent Supplement unless they are getting BTEA.

 

For further information visit www.welfare.ie or contact your local Social Protection Office.