Unfair system may halt Noel's nursing studies

WHILE thousands of students will flock to Galway city next month to begin or resume their third-level studies, local man Noel Egan is unlikely to be in a position to join them.

Noel has done two years of his four-year general nursing degree, but the Government's decision to deny him the Back to Education Allowance is putting a roadblock in front of his return.
A few days before Noel was due to begin his degree in 2015, he was told he wasn't eligible to receive funding, which meant he had to manage his way through the first two years of his degree as best he could.
“I was refused the Back to Education Allowance because of the progression rule. This rule states that you must be progressing in your education. My problem was that I already have a level 7 degree that I obtained 17 years ago,†explained Noel.
“This degree was completely self-funded and done on part-time.