Financial Assistance In UCD

UCD itself has a range of financial supports to help students most in need. If you think you might qualify, get in touch with the SU Welfare Officer, Rachel Breslin, who can provide you with more information.

1) Student Welfare Fund

This fund offers financial assistance to students who encounter unexpected difficulties during their time in UCD. Such unforeseen difficulties would be lost of part time job, bereavement or your parents have suffered a drop in their income. When applying to the Welfare Fund its very important to email Scott (scott@ucdsu.ie) to arrange to meet him first. The Welfare Fund Committee meet every two weeks throughout the academic year to consider applications. Students can therefore apply at any time. Applications are available at this link or in Rachel's office.

Guidelines to the Welfare Fund are available here

2) Student Assistance Fund

This fund is means-tested and is intended to help those finding it difficult to make ends meet as a result of ongoing low income. The application requires more information, as you need to supply a Revenue P20 or P60 form. It is important to gather all relevant information for this fund as early as possible. A reduction in available funding means that successful applicants will not receive the same level of assistance as was allocated in previous years. The 2011 deadline is November 15th.

You can apply for this fund through your SIS Account and click on the Student Service tab where the application will be available for you to fill in.

3) SVP Emergency Fund

The SU and the UCD Saint Vincent de Paul Society offer financial assistance up to €100, for those who experience severe and urgent difficulties. Applications can be made during an advisory clinic, which is held weekly during term-time. The times and dates are subject to change but will be advertised if changes do occur.

Applications are available at the venue where the Clinic in G005, Newman Building.The clinic takes place every Tuesday at 10am.

4) UCD Student Health Service Assistance Fund

The SU is administering a Student Health Service Assistance Fund that will help UCD students who may be unable to pay for their charges in the UCD Student Health Service. The application forms are available in Rachel's office and you can apply to the fund at any time during the year.

5) Childcare Assistance Fund

The university has put in place a Childcare Subsidy Scheme to assist student parents most in need of financial assistance, both those with children in the UCD Crèche and those in off-campus childcare. All expenditure through this fund is subject to strict eligibility guidelines and there is no guarantee that any student will receive a subsidy. Successful applicants will have to submit monthly crèche/child-minder invoices.

To get your hands on the forms for this fund you can click on this link and for the guidelines to know how to correctly fill in the from click here.

6) SU Bookstore Assisted Purchase Scheme

This is a new assistance scheme set up last semester to aid students who have difficulty in affording expensive university textbooks. Students who cannot pay entirely up-front for a required textbook in the SU Second-hand Bookshop can receive it through the SU Welfare office, and pay for it in regular installments that suit their situation.

No matter what situation you find yourself in, Talk to Rachel and she'll be able to help!