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Realistically - studying at Trinity College Dublin

It is very expensive in Dublin nowdays. A lot of Irish students are going over to the UK because it is cheaper..a lot of the students go home at the weekend because ireland is a smaller country and it can be done. Just thought it was something to keep in mind. I see no reason why you can't apply with your grades though :yes:

Reply 1

SatSep12

littletinysmall

I know it's expensive ... hence making this thread in the first place.

I need to know how people do it... if there are any subsidies available for people in this position?

Sadly there are no such items. Now there is a student finance system (similar to ours in England and NI) but it is alot less organised and advanced... Now as shown Dublin is expensive and there are no helping hands. Therefore that means that many of those within the actual college have professional parents (hence free subsidies)....

Sorry, thats the Irish Legal System!

Reply 2

SatSep12

littletinysmall

**Before you tell me how to use the search option, I've looked on google and TSR and am finding it too hard to filter through all the information***

So I visited Dublin this weekend and fell in love with it; I had previously considered it but was told that it was too expensive, but now I'm turned again. I feel like I have to study there!

The problem is - logistically, would I be able to go? I have no money saved, and I'm not sure how much my parents would be able to support me...not much, I'm guessing. I also couldn't BELIEVE how much everyday things cost ... drinks at 10 euros and the cheapest toothbrush in the Boots was 5! As a party girl I don't think I could bear to sacrifice fun purely for academia...

Does anyone know if anyone in this position has been able to go? Any information on loans/scholarships/accomodation..well any information, really! I find it hard to make head or tail of this kind of stuff...

I want to study english...I've heard it's highly competitive? I'm predicted A*A*A*A, and although I think that's a little unrealistic I feel fairly confident that I'll get 4 As?
Is the application process purely based on grades?

Way over confidents! Anyways there are alot more Irish leaving cert. applicants accepted over those of a levels ones!

Reply 3

headunderwater

Do you have to pay fees to study at Trinity?

Reply 4

headunderwater

littletinysmall

I gather it's free for E.U. students, at least for the meantime. But accomodation and maintenance seem ridiculously expensive.

Would the cost of accomodation and maintenance outweigh the cost of paying for accomodation and maintenance on top of £3,500 tuition fees elsewhere? Somehow I don't think so. I go to Ireland a lot, and I've never found it that much more expensive than England.

Reply 5

SatSep12

http://www.tcd.ie/Treasurers_Office/fees/fees_ugeufees.php

READ

Reply 6

headunderwater

littletinysmall

Hmmm...well I was in Dublin this weekend, and certainly found it very expensive, even more so than London! Although the exchange rate really isn't helping.

The thing is, I haven't got any money. At least in the UK I know I'd get a student loan, and be in the same boat as the majority. Also, I think accomodation is something like 6k a year? Although there is a chance I may have made that up...

You might find this article interesting: http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:-wvxUgXcvXwJ:www.robertwalters.com/resources/divisions/funds/DublinGuide.pdf+cost+of+living+in+dublin&hl=en&gl=uk&sig=AFQjCNFpRrm1WkeLbB1ONOF3FG_bvjjMzA

These are the costs of accomodation: http://www.tcd.ie/accommodation/StudentsandStaff/Students/TrinityHall/Rates/

Sorry I can't be of much help.

Reply 7

headunderwater

littletinysmall

Cheers, that article is out of date though!

This is depressing.

Just found out that both my parents have irish passports (which is odd seeing as they're south african,) that wouldn't mean anything, would it?

If you're an Irish national then you can get reduced fees, I think (grants, or something).

Depends on you though, not your parents. My mom's Irish but I don't technically classify as an Irish national. I'd check if I were you.

Reply 8

mickeyfit

You wouldn't be considered Irish unles you were born there, or had at least lived there - have you applied for dual citzenship - if not it doesnt' matter if your parents have Irish passports.

As for Trinity, I went there (though I'm irish born and bred so my situation is different) but no you have to fund it yourself (or your parents) There are technically no fees but you have to pay an administration fee of about €1500 per year, and accomodation is roughly €4000 a year then bills and social life on top of that - if you have nobody supporting you financially I honeslty wouldnt go to Dublin...

As for whether or not you'll get in to TCD the English course is on of the most over subscribed and highly sought after courses in TCD - not to mention you can't do it on its own, at least not initially - you need to pick a second subject when you apply - I've heard taht A level students are asked for top marks for that course.

Reply 9

AnthonyShock

I was planning on applying for Psychology at TCD snd UCD.

After reading this I think I'm gonna change my mind mainly because I have no financial backing at all, single-parent family from Gateshead. :s-smilie:

Reply 10

StarsAreFixed

GREAT news, tuition fees have been on the cards since the recession kicked in and they've now been ruled out completely. There IS a registration fee of €1500 though. English is very little hours a week, get a job! Minimum wage is much higher here (which helps to balance out things being expensive..that and salaries in general are higher). Don't shop in Boots if you're trying to save, get your toothbrushes in Dunnes Tesco Penneys or Lidl or somewhere. Drinks for €10, what were you drinking...there are so.many.places with €2 and €3 all drinks nights, even on the weekend.

Trinity Halls is €6k a year, you'd get accom much cheaper than that. Consider living in say Terenure or Rathmines or anywhere that's say 15-20 mins on a good public transport route. You'd save a fortune. I'm not really up on loans and grants etc- there isn't much of a cluture of that here because of free fees. English is hovering about the 505 points mark depending on TSM or whatever- it is quite far off from the perfect grades required for medicine 2 years ago (590ish), but you probably wouldn't get away with having a B. I would say you have a realistic chance. I myself work a few too many hours to be considered part-time, a good bit over 20, but I make €300 a week ish and will make almost €13k this year. If you worked say 14ish hours a week, you'd make a very decent amount.

Reply 11

StarsAreFixed

No problem. Can't really help with the whole loan thing or UCAS, but I've been through CAO, I'm in 3rd year in Trinity and I take a few English modules so feel free to ask me stuff.

Reply 12

sugarplumc

mickeyfit

You wouldn't be considered Irish unles you were born there, or had at least lived there - have you applied for dual citzenship - if not it doesnt' matter if your parents have Irish passports.
.

That's not necessarily true, at least, it wasn't 2 years ago. My bf has an Irish passport and 1 grandparent was Irish. Neither of his parents has lived there never mind him, and he hadn't even been to Ireland until he came to visit me when he was in his 20s.
Of course, the regulations might have changed in the past couple of years so do check it out OP

Reply 13

mickeyfit

sugarplumc

We had a referendum a few years ago which changed the citizenship regulations - if your parents are irish you can get an irish passport - but as far as I'm aware the grandfather rule doesn't apply anymore.

Reply 14

PJ991

I made a thread a while back, and I know this is quite old.

But I found out today that as an EU citizen, you are entitled to an Irish grant for university, but this is apparently only a fees grant unless you live in Ireland. I don't know what a fees grant is exactly. It can't be the university tuition fee surely, as I thought EU countries couldn't charge different prices to other EU citizens. So tuition should be free anyway. This fees grant is means tested to, so it says, but again, I don't know what this is for.

I think this grant may be to go towards the €1500 registration fee, but again, I'm not sure.

To get a maintenance grant, you need to have lived in Ireland since 1 October this year, and this is up to around €4000 per year. From what I've seen, the Government in Ireland doesn't seem to offer extra loans like you can get in England. I'm sure someone who studies in Ireland will say if this is true or not.