Living too close to Athlone can cost you thousands!

What difference does it make to a student whether they live in Clonmore or the Lynn Road?

Thousands of euros if they are attending Athlone IT and applying for a maintenance grant from SUSI, according to Cllr Sorca Clarke.

She cited the case of two students, and explained that the dividing line for qualification for the non-adjacent rate ran between their two areas.

As a result, she told members of Mullingar Municipal District at their most recent meeting, the student in Lynn receives a grant 2.5 times greater than the student from Clonmore.

Ironically, she continued, the route of the public transport service to Athlone increases their travel to over 45km.

The discrepancy means some students are, as a result, choosing not to apply to Athlone IT.

Cllr Clarke had a motion on the agenda at the meeting calling on the Minister for Education to liaise with SUSI and the Minister for Finance with a view to ensuring that students applying to Athlone IT from Mullingar who are less than 5km under the limit for the Non-Adjacent Grant rate are given it – especially given the fact that the travel distance via public transport is over 45 km.

She said it was “grossly unfair”, and said SUSI, like any organisation, “needs to have an element of reasonableness and needs to be fair”.

Cllr Ken Glynn supported her call and remarked that there is “a huge issue developing” in terms of student accommodation.

“People are being driven into cities and quoted extortionate amounts for digs,” he said, adding that he knew of a student quoted €8,000 for accommodation for a year, “and to call it a kip would be kind to it”, he said.

 

Fares discrepancy

Cllr Clarke added that when trying to arrange public transport to Athlone, different information is being given out to students: fares quoted varied from €17.50 to €22.50 and €36.50.

She added that when she rang to enquire, she was actually informed that there wasn't a bus from Mullingar to Athlone.