FAQs
You may have lots of questions about being a first year student in UCC. You may also want clarification about your options. if you have any concerns about your degree programme.
How do I complete registration?
You will need your Student Number and your portal@UCC password to complete Registration Part 1. To log on to your portal@UCC account:
1. Go to http://sit.ucc.ie
2. Enter in your username and portal password
a. Username: Student Number
b. Portal Password: You will have received this in a letter from UCC
3. Once you have logged in to portal click on the icon labelled MyStudentAdmin
4. To register for your course follow the instructions in the letter sent to you from UCC
If you have any issues with the registration process please email webreg@ucc.ie
If you are unable to log in to portal@UCC please email sit@ucc.ie
What is a module?
A module is a subject that you study as part of your programme. Each module will award you either 5, 10, 15 or 20 credits once successfully completed. Each year of your programme contains 60 credits in total, you must register for your complete 60 credits by selecting the compulsory and/or optional modules available when completing Registion.
What’s the difference between a compulsory and an optional module?
A compulsory module is a core subject, which you must complete as part of your programmme; when you go to register on-line, you will see that the compulsory modules have already been selected for you. Some programmes will consist of all compulsory modules, while others will contain some optional modules for you to choose. If there are optional modules available to you, then you must select your prefered modules until you have a total of 60 credits under ‘Selected Subjects/Modules.’
I have an EU qualification other than an Irish Leaving Cert. What do I do?
EU students with a school leaving qualification other than the Irish Leaving Certificate, must bring their original certificates to the Admissions Office, First Floor, West Wing, before they complete Registration Part 2.
What are Tuition Fees?
Under the Government free fees initiative, the tuition fees for 2011/12 for certain full-time undergraduate students will be paid by the State to UCC. To be eligible a student must be:
• A First-time undergraduate and
• hold an EU nationality or have official Refugee Status and
• have been ordinarily resident in an EU Member State for at least three of the last five years preeceding their entry to an approved course
• must be attending a full time undergraduate course of at least two years duration for the first time.
Eligible students are liable to pay the Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fee of € 2150. All ineligible students are liable for Tuition, Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fees. Students may pay their fees in two instalments. The first instalment (half the total fees due) must be paid as part of on-line registration. The balance of fees must be paid in early January 2012. The undergraduate Fee Schedule for the Academic Year 2011/2012 is available on the Fees Office website at: http://www.ucc.ie/en/financeoffice/fees/
What is a Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fee?
The Capitation Fee for the 2011/2012 academic year is € 150. The Capitation Fee includes your membership of the Union of Students of Ireland (USI), and membership of the Mardyke Sports Arena. The Capitation Fee is not funded under the Higher Education Grant Scheme. All students must pay this fee. Payment of fees can be made as part of the online registration process.
The Student Contribution Charge for the 2011/2012 academic year is € 2,000. Students are liable for this fee if you are not eligible for a Local Authority/VEC grant. If you have applied for a grant and are still awaiting a decision, you should pay the Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fees in full during the on-line registration or due to financial reasons you may pay in two instalments. The first instalment is € 1150. The 2nd instalment of € 1000 is due in January 2012. If you are subsequently awarded a local authority/VEC Grant, the Student Contribution Charge portion paid will be refunded to you.
Refunds to grant holders, who have paid fees pending approval of a grant, are issued only when the University has received fee payment from the grant authority. These refunds will be issued automatically and do not need to be claimed from the University, once you have provided confirmation of award to the Fees Office at registration.
How do I pay Fees?
Payment of Fees is part of Registration and can be made during On-Line Registration, either by LaserCard, Credit Card (Visa, or Master Card), or online. Please note the maximum amount per transaction for a Laser card is € 1500 and the limit per day is € 2500.
What happens if I am in receipt of funding and don’t have to pay fees?
If you are in receipt of a local authority/VEC grant, you can pay your capitation fee of € 150 as part of the on-line registration and please bring your letter of award with you to Registration Part 2.
When can I collect my Local Authority/VEC Grant Cheque from the Fees Office?
Student maintenance are paid in two ways:
1. Some local authorities and VECs are paying student maintenance by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). A list of the local authorities and VECs paying student maintenance by EFT will be posted in the Fees Office website in September 2011.
2. The remainder of the local authorities and VECs are sending the maintenance cheques to the Fees Office. The student will have to call to the Fees Office to collect their maintenance cheque.
• Collection of 1st instalment of local authority/VEC maintenance grant cheque: October/November/December 2011
• Collection of 2nd instalment of local authority/VEC maintenance grant cheques: January – March 2012
• Collection of 3rd instalment of local authority/VEC maintenance grant cheques: April – May 2012
The names of the Local Authority/VEC from whom maintenance cheques have been received are posted daily on the Fees Office webpage: http://www.ucc.ie/en/financeoffice
Students are advised to check this daily. When your Local Authority/VEC’s name appears you may call to the Fees & Grants Office. Please bring your current ID card to collect your grant. Maintenance cheques will not be released under any circumstances without producing your current ID card. It is the responsibility of students to collect their maintenance cheques within a month of being received in the Fees office. Failure to collect cheques will result in your cheque being returned to the local authority/VEC which may result in the grant being discontinued.
How do I register for Blackboard?
1. Go to http://sit.ucc.ie
2. Log-on to Student Portal
3. Click on the Blackboard icon
How do I see the modules I am enrolled in?
The UCC Blackboard tab will display any modules you are enrolled in, as well as announcements and calendar items relating to these modules. You may not see all your modules if your lecturer has not made them available on the system!
If you have any further queries regarding your blackboard account please email: sit@ucc.ie
What can I do if I discover I don’t like the programme I’m on?
Advice should first be sought through your tutor/mentor and college/department/faculty/school office. If you wish to withdraw from your programme and would like to explore your options you should speak to c , West Wing, T: 021 490 2780 E: n.deady@ucc.ie
It is also useful to be aware of the financial implications of your withdrawal.
If you wish to return to third level education at a later date, eligibility for state funding will be affected by the date of withdrawal. Please note the important dates that follow:
Withdrawal prior to 31st October 2011:
• If you complete Registration Part 1 only, your full Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fee will be refunded.
• If you complete Registration Part 1 and Part 2 and then transfer to another 3rd level institution as a result of a higher offer, your full Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fee will be refunded.
• In all other cases, the Student Contribution charge and Capitation Fee will not normally be refunded.
Withdrawal between 31st October 2011 and 31st January 2012:
Students who withdraw between the above dates are liable to pay half Tuition fees plus Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fees if you decide to return to 3rd level education anytime during the following 5 years. The Student Contribution charge and Capitation Fee will not be refunded to students who withdraw during this period.
Withdrawal after 31st January:
You will be liable for Tuition fees plus Student Contribution Charge and Capitation Fees if you decide to return to 3rd level education anytime during the following 5 years. The Student Contribution charge and Capitation Fee will not be refunded to students who withdraw during this period. If you are re-applying for another programme, please remember to make an application to the CAO before 1st February 2012.
For further information on Fees
Tel: 021 490 3929/490 2847/490 3747
If you decide that you want to withdraw:
Please complete the Student Withdrawal Form (37kB)and return it, together with your student ID card to the First Year Experience Coordinator, Nóirín Deady , Admissions Office, West Wing, UCC. You should also make an appointment to see Nóirín to discuss all your options.
What can I do if I don’t have the points required for the programme I really want to do?
If you are not offered a place on a programme, you can choose to repeat your Leaving Certificate. Matriculation and special entry requirements can be attained over several sittings (with the exception of medicine), but the points required must be achieved at one sitting. There are also links from certain FETAC courses into a number of Degree Programmes at UCC. Please refer to the Undergraduate Prospectus for further information on FETAC links or log on to: http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/.
Alternatively, make an appointment to meet the First Year Experience Coordinator, Nóirín Deady to discuss your options. T: 021 4902780 E: n.deady @ucc.ie
How can I find out what UCC students do after graduation?
The Careers Service helps students to understand their career interests, evaluate and assess career opportunities and effectively implement their career decisions. In achieving these objectives, the Careers Service provides a wide range of services, which are categorised as follows:
• Careers Advice and Guidance
• Careers Information
• Undergraduate Work Placement
• Employer Relations and Graduate Recruitment
The Careers Service is located at: 3-4 Brighton Villas, Western Road, (by Castlewhite Apartments) T: 021 490 2349/2500 or E: careers@ucc.ie
What is uLink Peer Support?
uLink Peer Support is a new service in UCC where students are trained and supported to help first year students settle into UCC. It begins at orientation. Every first year student is linked to a peer support leader who will be their guide and show them what life in UCC is all about. Contact with the peer support leader will continue throughout the year and one-to-one or group meetings will be organised with a view to making students’ life in UCC as fulfilling as possible. Any student who is in UCC for the first time can make contact if they would like to link up with another student who can help them make the most of their time in UCC.
What can a peer support leader do for me?
A peer support leader can meet with you and hear about your experience of UCC. It can be once off or regular contact. Peer supporters won’t judge or tell anyone else what’s going on for you or even that you’re meeting. They offer a friendly and confidential ear. They can offer some practical help in dealing with things they have already gone through, like what to do, how to go about doing it, where to go or who to ask. Or they can just listen. Nothing is too small to ask about or talk about.
How can I make contact?
You can contact Claire at the Peer Assisted Student Support (PASS) office on 021 4205188 or pass@ucc.ie. Your query will be treated confidentially and based on what you need and want, you will be put in touch with a peer support volunteer. Contact with the supporter is on your terms.
What if I want to become a Peer Support Volunteer?
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer then contact Claire at the PASS office. E: pass@ucc.ie, T: 021 420 5188.
