There is a lot of help and support available to you when you start college – you just need to ask……
- Admission Officer: Often your first point of contact. They advise on the administration of college life, such as deferring courses, changing courses etc.
- Access Officer: Assists students on various issues such as financial problems, education worries and facilities / resources for people with disabilities (some colleges have separate disability officers).
- Student Services Officer: Plans for students needs such as orientation for newcomers, counselling, mentoring etc.
- Student Union: Represents students and advises on student issues
Supports for Students with a Disability
If you are a student with a disability, it is important to know that there are several supports and programmes available, to help you achieve your educational goals at college or university.
Financial Supports
Going to college can be expensive – there are fees, laptop, equipment, travel, accommodation to consider – however, there are a range of schemes to help you with the cost. The main one is the Student Grant Scheme (SUSI) but there are other financial supports available too.
Accommodation
We have had a lot of questions about accommodation this year. Our advice would be contact your college, they will be able to give you more information of their course delivery and accommodation requirements. Here is a link to the Qualifax website that details the different accommodation provisions offered by the different colleges: College Accommodation You can find all the contact details to the different college Admission Officers if you need support.
The Union of Students Ireland have an introductory service website for the purpose of matching students seeking digs-style accommodation. homes.usi.ie.
Commute to College for Less
Travel can be one of the most expensive parts of going to college – try and avoid spending more than you have to. No matter how you travel, there are ways to save your hard-earned cash!