Student Welfare and Assistance
The Student Welfare and Assistance Committee (SWAC) is responsible for assisting students who find themselves in financial difficulty. Monetary problems may arise from difficulties due to ongoing low income, childcare costs or financial worries that may be the result of unforeseen events (e.g. bereavement, accident, illness etc.)
The committee operates three distinct schemes for assisting students. They are:
These schemes are funded largely by European Social Funds through the National Development Plan. All of the schemes are subject to availability of funding.
(1) Student Welfare Fund (SWF)
The purpose of this discretionary fund is to offer financial assistance to students who encounter unexpected difficulties during their time of study in UCD. The scope of the fund also encompasses those students who cannot, for various reasons, be financially assisted through the normal channels of assistance. The Student Welfare Fund Committee meets on a regular basis throughout the academic year. Students can, therefore, apply at anytime within the academic calendar.
Application Procedure for SWF
The procedures for application are as follows:
- Each applicant seeking funding is interviewed by a Chaplain or Student Adviser or the Students' Union Welfare Officer, who writes a memo to the committee outlining the circumstances of the case.
- The Student applicants are required to write a letter to the Vice-President for Students outlining their personal circumstances in full.
- An applicant is required to complete the SWF application for. This entails furnishing details of personal budget information as outlined in the SWF form.
- Applicants must submit receipts along with their application to verify their financial requirements.
Criteria for SWF Funding
The criteria that govern this fund are as follows:
Students who apply to the fund may range from students who (a) because of unforeseen circumstances require financial assistance, or (b) those that need financial assistance over a period having encountered serious adverse circumstances such as family breakdown, bereavement, or health problems. Students may also be offered the opportunity to avail of counselling or other advice so as to avoid a recurrence of their difficulties.
(2) Student Assistance Fund (SAF)
Criteria for SAF Funding
The SAF is available to those students who are experiencing ongoing financial difficulty, and targets those most in need The fund is means-based and students must provide documentary evidence of income to support their application. Applications are considered by a committee that will judge each application on a case-by-case basis. The committee will determine the actual amounts to be allocated to students based on the budget and number of applications. There are usually two rounds of applications during the academic year.
Eligible Applicants
The Student Assistance Fund is open to students who are currently registered for a programme at UCD. The course must be of at least one year’s duration and must lead to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification.
Please contact your Student Adviser for more information. Contact details are available at www.ucd.ie/studentadvisers/
Creche Subsidy
As part of a commitment by UCD to students with Childcare responsibilities, the University offers a contribution towards Childcare costs. There is no guarantee that any student will receive a childcare subsidy. All childcare subsidies granted by UCD will be based on individual need. Students must complete a Childcare Assistance application form and submit together with a letter outlining their circumstances to the Childcare subsidy committee. Full details of both parents' contribution to the maintenance of the child must be made. For further information and an application form please contact your faculty Student Adviser, Chaplain or the Students' Union Welfare Officer.
Students who are successful in their application will have to submit a monthly invoice from the creche / child minder to Anne Tynan, G002. She will collate all accounts and send them to Accounts Payable who will draw cheques, payable to the Creche / Child minder and make them available for collection, on display of a current student card.
The University recognises that some students with family responsibilities, particularly in relation to childcare cost,, may face significant financial difficulties. In response to this need, the University has put in place a Childcare Subsidy Scheme to assist those student parents most in need of financial assistance, both those with children in the UCD creche and those with children in off-campus childcare. All expenditure through this Fund is subject to stringent eligibility guidelines and audit requirements.
The requirements and criteria are as follows:
- In applying for a childcare subsidy, all students registered for a course of at least one year leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification will be treated equally, both those with children in the UCD creche and those with children in outside childcare. Under the ESF guidelines, students participating in an Access or Foundation course are not eligible for assistance.
- All students are required to fill out the UCD Student Welfare Fund Application Form, with an outline of their monthly budget and a letter outlining their case for support.
- The Student Welfare Fund Committee may seek further information and relevant documentation from applicants, if this is deemed necessary by the Committee to make an informed decision. Students should make the committee aware of any relevant changes to their financial circumstances. The committee may review its decision in the light of any new information that comes to its attention.
- Applications should be accompanied by an invoice/receipt from the creche or childminder, including details of cost and dates covered.
- Allocation of funds will be on the basis of financial need
- there may be a maximum payment, depending on the demand for available resources. This may be subject to change from time to time.
- The Student Welfare and Assistance Committee will process all applications.
- Subsidies will be paid for the complete academic year, including the revision week and the examination period. This is subject to the student remaining registered throughout the year with UCD.
- The subsidy may be paid from the start of September each year to allow the child become used to the creche.
- The subsidy may be paid during the summer months, if the student is studying from examinations, working on a thesis, or doing unpaid laboratory work, and not working in paid employment. When a student is on work experience that is considered part of the degree requirement and is not being paid an economic wage, the subsidy may also be paid.
- If students are in paid employment during the summer months, they may continue to use the creche but will be required to pay the full charge.
- PhD students who tutor or lecture and are paid by UCD may still receive the subsidy, if they qualify on grounds of need.
- Part-time students are entitled to apply for a place in the UCD creche, but their entitlement to a subsidy will be related to the number of credits they are taking (i.e. students taking half the full number of credits for a year will be entitled to a subsidy based on a half week). Please note that the creche management will accept part-time children only if parents can make arrangements with other parents to share a full-time place.
