Tuesday, 30.10.2007
Funding Options
Listed below are a number of schemes and programmes offering financial assistance – or free courses – to adults returning to part-time education.
The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is concerned with helping adults with literacy and numeracy difficulties as well as improving their personal development. NALA aims to provide basic skills in reading, writing, numeracy and Information Technology. Its mission is “to ensure all adults with literacy difficulties have access to a range of high quality learning opportunities”. The initiative promotes adult basic education and encourages the involvement of students in all aspects of learning. NALA is committed to developing literacy training programmes as well as representing the views and interests of all participants in adult literacy. The NALA in-service training programme has over 1000 participants taking more than 60 courses which cover 50 topics. More details about the part-time programmes of study can be found at www.nala.ie.
Tax Relief is also available for tuition fees. For more information on this contact your local tax office or on www.revenue.ie.
FÁS increases employability by providing tailored training and employment programmes designed to meet people’s specific employment needs. Part-time courses for job seekers and traineeship programmes are listed on their web site at www.fas.ie. FÁS provides various financial support in the form of allowances to assist participants of training courses.
The Millennium Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged is a scheme designed to financially assist students of third level education living in disadvantaged areas. The amount allocated is determined by each individual case. Application to your local partnership/community group. To qualify for this funding you must be living within a partnership area. Eligibility varies from one partnership to another.
Charities concerned with social justice may also be able to provide financial assistance and personal support. For example, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers education grants to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and assists lone parents with childcare while they are getting the training they need to gain employment.
ONE FAMILY offers free parenting support and courses in practical skills for lone parents with free on-site childcare. For more details see www.onefamily.ie
If you’re going back to education and you’ve got children, you may be able to benefit from financial assistance with childcare. If you’re attending a FÁS, YouthReach or VTOS course there is the possibility of receiving a childcare allowance. For example, FÁS runs a scheme that can cover childcare for children up to and including age 13 who are attending primary school. Certain criteria needs to be fulfilled in order that you are eligible under this scheme –you need to be currently unemployed and training on a FÁS vocational course, the main carer of the child or children, and you need to require assistance with childcare in order to take up such a training opportunity. Some second and third-level institutions also provide a crèche service. Whatever your concerns about childcare, there are ways and means around it and it is worthwhile to explore as many avenues as possible. Use any support available and ask for help from those around you if necessary.
Whatever your reasons for returning to part-time education it is clear that the benefits far outweigh any anxieties you might have. Not only will you have better job opportunities and employable skills, you will also have increased your knowledge, gained self-esteem and probably a qualification too! Now, what’s stopping you?
- AONTAS: Keeping Adult and Community Education on the Political Agenda
- Leaving Cert Adult Education Options
- Links & Resources
- Outreach Centres
- Paying Your Way
- What Your VEC Can Do For You
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