For Parents
For Parents
Parents' Information
Whether you have attended university or not, application, admission and enrolment can be confusing. Below is a quick reference guide to some of UCC's services and facilities which may be of interest to you as the parent of a prospective or new student.
Events for Prospective Students
| Online Q&As | Take place at key times throughout the year, click here for details and previous questions. |
| October Open Day | The October Open Day takes place on the second Saturday of October every year, and in 2018 it will take place on Saturday 13th October. Parents and Senior Cycle students are all welcome to attend the day. |
| Open Campus Tours | Open Campus Tours take place during the Easter break each year, from 12-2pm on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In 2019, tours will provisionally run from 2-4 April. Please email s.oherlihy@ucc.ie for further information. |
| Spring Open Day for Schools | The Spring Open Day will take place over two days in May 2019. Registered school groups of Transition and Fifth Year students attend with supervision from school. Check with your son/daughter's school if they plan to bring a group in May. |
| Careers Exhibitions | Take place in September, October and November all around the country. UCC attends those which take place in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Carlow and Killarney. These take place mid-week, are organised by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors in Ireland and students generally attend as part of school groups. See the Qualifax website for more details. The Cork Careers Exhibition in the Rochestown Park Hotel also hosts a parents evening as part of the event. |
| Parent Information Evenings | UCC holds its own Information Evenings for parents in Kilkenny, Tralee and on UCC campus in October or November and in Cork in January. Some schools also organise careers evenings where parents are invited to attend a talk by staff from UCC and/or the school, and these normally take place anytime from October through to the end of January. For information on upcoming events please click here. |
Admissions Office
The UCC Admissions Office deals with admissions to all undergraduate courses for Irish and EU (non-Irish) students. Many parents and interested students use the Admissions Office as a point of contact to find out information on entry requirements. Admissions Office staff also visit schools and careers exhibitions throughout the school year, meeting senior cycle students, their parents, teachers and Guidance Counsellors. There are different categories for school-leavers applying to UCC through the CAO which your son/daughter may or may not fall into: HEAR applicants; DARE applicants; and FETAC and BTEC applicants.
Student Finance
The information here applies to full-time EU students. Advice for International students is available from the International Education Office.
Costs
Full-time EU/EEA/Swiss State undergraduate students may be exempt from paying tuition fees. The State will pay the tuition fees for students who satisfy the Free Fees Criteria. In 2017/18 the Student Contribution Charge will be €3,000 and the Capitation Fee is expected to be €165. Further information regarding Fees can be found on the Fees Office website http://www.ucc.ie/en/financeoffice/fees/.
Higher Education Grant Scheme
The Higher Education Grant Scheme provides means-tested grants to eligible students who are pursuing approved courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Students should apply to SUSI for a grant. Applicants who are not eligible for either the State Grant or a Higher Education Grant are liable to pay full tuition, the student contribution charge, and the capitation fee.
Students wishing to withdraw from University must do so officially by meeting with the First Year Experience Coordinator, writing to the Examinations/Records Office and returning their ID cards. They should also call to the Fees Office to clarify their fee status. If a student withdraws during the academic year and wishes to return to third level education at a later date their eligibility for state funding will be affected by their date of withdrawal.
Student Assistance Fund
All full-time registered students are eligible to apply for the Student Assistance Fund, however resources will be targeted at those disadvantaged students most in need. Application forms are available (normally in October) from the Student Assistance Fund Office, and should be returned to The Student Assistance Fund Office, 1st Floor, 1-2 Brighton Villas, UCC before the closing date on the application form.
For forms, T: +353 (0)21 490 3562 or E: studentassistancefund@ucc.ie
Tax Relief for Tuition Fees
Tax relief is available for tuition fees paid by an individual for an approved third-level course. An individual can claim tax relief on fees paid for third-level courses as long as he/she has paid the qualifying fees. Relief is not available in respect of any part of the tuition fees that are met directly or indirectly by grants, scholarships, an employer or otherwise; or for administration, registration or examination fees paid.
Accommodation
UCC Campus Accommodation has responsibility for UCC-managed accommodation for students, all within easy walking distance of the main campus and all providing Internet access free of charge. Three complexes are available to first year students: Victoria Lodge, Victoria Mills and Castlewhite Apartments. Prices for campus accommodation for the academic year (Sept-May) range from €3,042 to €5,856 (prices are subject to change). Campus Accommodation normally seeks deposits from students in March of the year they intend to start first year.
Applying for the Academic Year 2018/2019 couldn't be easier- it is fast, efficient and most importantly, fair. Online applications usually open in February of the year of entry.
Alternative Accommodation and Accommodation Advice:
If you are looking for privately owned accommodation the UCC Accommodation website also provides a list of vacancies available in private house shares, owner occupied houses that provide meals, and owner occupied houses that are self-catering. Any vacancies that become available in privately owned complexes will also appear on this website. Students searching for accommodation can set up property alerts once they have registered with the website using the “My Studentpad” tab.
In addition students can post on the message board looking for roommates or advertising spare rooms. We would urge students to consider all available options on the website. We would also encourage students to be proactive in finding accommodation via other online web platforms and local classified adverts.
Please click the link below to access the UCC Accommodation website http://accommodation.ucc.ie/Accommodation
If you are looking for advice or further alternative options, please contact our Office of Student Residential Services and Community Relations:
The Mardyke
The Mardyke Arena is UCC’s superb sports facility, and was extensively upgraded in 2011. It has a fully equipped gym, swimming pool, steam rooms, sauna and indoor sports hall. There are also floodlit GAA, hockey and soccer/rugby pitches and a synthetic athletics track on the grounds. All registered UCC students are members of the Mardyke Arena.
Sports Scholarships
UCC awards a number of sports scholarships each year. Further information and application forms are available from the Office of Sport and Recreation. For more information please see the below link:
Careers Service
The Careers Service supports students to understand their career interests, evaluate and assess career opportunities and effectively implement their career decisions. The wide range of services they provide are as follows:
- careers advice and guidance
- careers information
- undergraduate work placement
- employer relations & graduate recruitment
Student Development & Employability
Starting First Year
All students offered a place in UCC are sent comprehensive information packs in late August/early September. These packs contain information about registering for and starting university. We recommend that you try to ensure your son/daughter reads everything in the pack thoroughly, especially the First Year Guide to Success, a useful manual that outlines the Registration and Orientation Process, as well as all of UCC's student services and facilities.
The university welcomes parents’ involvement in the process of the student’s entry to UCC. Students need the support of their parents throughout their time at university. However, once the student has registered, the university deals with the individual student directly. This is part of the process to empower students to become independent adults. Parents are therefore not entitled to any information regarding attendance, exam results, health status or any other issues relating to the student, except in certain circumstances when it is deemed appropriate by the university.
Fáilte Fest is a series of events welcoming first year students and helping them to settle in including orientation, registration, Freshers' Fest and workshops for first-years. It also includes the Open Door Welcome for Family and Friends on in October to which you, as parents of new UCC students, are invited to attend. Fáilte Fest will run from 25 August, 2017 to 9 September, 2017.
First Year Experience Coordinator
The First Year Experience Coordinator is based in the Admissions Office and provides support to first-year students, to discuss any concerns they might have, to advise students who may want to withdraw from UCC, and in general to look after the needs that new students may have in the transition from second to third level. Please contact Nórín Deady for further information at: n.deady@ucc.ie
Student Counselling & Development
Students seek counselling for a wide range of issues, including transition to UCC, anxiety, depression, bereavement, relationships, family, addiction etc. Counselling is free and confidential to each student.