Changes to VEC Grant

There will be some major changes to the rate of VEC student grants that were introduced in the December 2010 budget, and will take effect at the start of the new academic year 2011-12.

Change in the definition of ‘adjacent’ and ‘non-adjacent’

The level of grant you get depends on how far you live from your college; the lower ‘adjacent’ grant is for students living closer to the college, while the higher ‘non-adjacent’ grant is for students living further away.

From September 2011, to be eligible for the non-adjacent rate of grant you must be living more than 45 km from the college. Previously, you had to be living more than 24 km from the college. This will apply to all students i.e. both new applicants and students already on the grant.

The adjacent rate of maintenance grant shall be payable in the case of a grant-holder whose normal residence is 45 km or less from the college which s/he is attending.

Removal of automatic entitlement of mature students to the non-adjacent rate of grant

Up to now, eligible mature students automatically qualified for the ‘non-adjacent’ rate of grant, no matter how close they lived to the college. From September 2011, mature students will be subject to the same distance rule as other, non-mature students, i.e. their rate of grant will depend on the distance from the college as described above. This will apply to all students, i.e. both new mature applicants and mature students already on the grant.

Note

Distances will be measured from the entrance of your college to your home, via the shortest route by road. Note that this need not be your usual route, or even the most convenient route.