FAQ’s

A Students’ Union is a democratic organisation run by students for students. The SU is the main representative body for Students in ATU Sligo. We represent over 8,000 students in many ways. We give you representation on the Institutes Governing Body and academic council. We also represent students on a national scale with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI)

A Sabbatical Officer is one of the three elected representatives of students – there’s the President, the Education Officer and the Welfare Officer, all of whom you can find out more information about on the website.

The Student Representative Council is a group of students who have been nominated and elected by their respective courses to give their class a voice and essentially mandate the work that the union does.

You can find us in our offices in the Student Centre behind the SU shop. Or you can contact us by email (support@atussu.ie).

USI (The Union of Students in Ireland) is the national representative body for the 374,000 students in third level education on the Island of Ireland. ITSSU is an affiliated member of USI. All students of ATU Sligo are automatically members of the national Union.

Moodle is online resources that lectures can put up notes, assignments and more on. This will be your best friend for the duration of your time here in ATU Sligo.

You can contact us by emailing support@atussu.ie or by simply popping into the office to us. If you need to specifically contact any of the sabbaticals directly you can email them as follows:

With the current restrictions the library is closed now, but we hope to have information as soon as possible and will update when we get this information.

You can get in contact with Education Officer Keelan at support@atussu.ie

Class reps are a fantastic way to meet new people and have a voice for your class, if you feel this is a role you would like to take up speak to your class that you would like to put your name forward to be a Class Rep and get in contact with the Education Officer at support@atussu.ie

Once all Class Reps are elected and submitted, Class Rep training generally takes place over one day off campus with lots of fun games and training also there is lots of free goodies included. This may change due to Covid 19 however, some form of training will still take place.

Class Reps generally meet up once a month and at minimum once every 6 weeks during term-time.

The best and most obvious advice is not to panic. The options available to you vary not only from college to college, but also from department to department. If you fail an exam:

1. Consult your course handbook (which you should be able to find online or in your email) to ascertain the regulations surrounding exams and progression;
2. Speak to the lecturer responsible for the module in order to find out why you failed;
3. Ask your department about your options for repeat or appeal;
4. Discuss your options with your students’ union.

Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is the single awarding authority for all student grant applications. If you are a new student or changing course you should apply to SUSI through their website. Visit their website at: https://susi.ie/

Yes, you can! The student grant application system is an “Online application system” and can be accessed at : https://grantsonline.ie/

Please go to the SUSI website and fill out the eligibility form or follow the link below: https://susi.ie/eligibility-reckoner-app-irish/index.html

The SUSI grants assessment process has three main stages:  

• Initial assessment by SUSI
• Documents requested from student
• Final assessment by SUSI

Each stage of the process takes 3 to 4 weeks on average. Most applications are expected to take 12 weeks overall from beginning to end before the payment stage is reached.

Students applying to SUSI will be paid on a monthly basis (nine instalments) into their own bank account. Continued payment will be dependent on verification of your attendance on the course by your college at regular intervals throughout the academic year.

The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment will not affect student grants in academic year 19/20. The Covid-19 Payment is an emergency payment that was initially introduced for 6 weeks and has now been extended to 12 weeks. Students will continue to receive their maintenance grants as normal and the duration or value of the grant will not change. Student grant applications for academic year 20/21 will be assessed based on income earned in 2019.

If you or a family member have experienced a change in circumstances relating to income that is not temporary in nature and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, you may apply for your application to be assessed/reassessed under a change in circumstances. . If you advise of an income related change in circumstance, the income of all parties to the application including the person(s) experiencing the change will be assessed/reassessed.

Student grant applications for academic year 20/21 will be assessed based on income earned in 2019. If a student or party to their application experiences a permanent change in circumstances relating to reckonable income or other criteria, they can apply to have their application assessed under the change in circumstances provision.

Yes, if you feel your application for a student grant has been incorrectly assessed you may appeal the decision of the awarding authority to its appeals officer – you must do this within thirty days of the awarding authority’s decision.

Contact SUSI HelpDesk on 0761 087874. SUSI's HelpDesk is available 9.00am - 8.00 Mon-Fri and 10.00am - 1.00pm Saturdays. Facebook page www.facebook.com/susisupport and a Twitter page @susihelpdesk. You can also email our HelpDesk at support@susi.ie.

- To act on behalf of YOU, the students - To provide a drop-in listening, information and referral service for all ATU Sligo students - To provide information and help regarding accommodation - To provide students with help and knowledge regarding The Student Assistance Fund

Office hours are 09.30am to 04.30pm. You can also contact support@atussu.ie outside of these hours.

The Student Assistance Fund is there to provide financial support to disadvantaged students who would be unable to fully benefit from third level education without external support. For further queries on this contact support@atussu.ie. The Counselling Service – ATU Sligo Students' Union provides a counselling service to allow students the opportunity to discuss any difficulties you may be experiencing with a qualified person. The counsellor will help by offering a voice, and listening without making any judgement, so you can see what is right for you.

Feel free to call down to student union office at any time, or contact support@atussu.ie.

Yes, you can get free condoms and lube down in the student union by visiting the Welfare or Education office.

Yes, you can get free tampons in the student union by visiting the Welfare or Education Office.

An STI is an infection which has been transmitted from one person to another through sexual activity. To protect against STI’s a condom must be used each and every time you have sexual intercourse.

Sligo GUM clinic offers screening and counselling for STI’s, as well as HIV testing and counselling.

Do not worry, all this information will be strictly confidential, and is also offered for free to students.

You can pop into the student union for help with budgeting effectively, or contact support@atussu.ie

Feel free to call down to the student union and speak to the welfare officer, or get in touch via email at support@atussu.ie

The Student Assistance Fund provides financial support to full or part-time students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending college. Students can apply for the Student Assistance Fund to help with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties. The Student Assistance Fund is designed to provide a source of financial support in addition to a SUSI grant.

The Student Assistance Fund is available to help with costs such as;

• Books and class materials,
• Rent, heating and lighting bills,
• Food,
• Essential travel,
• Childcare costs,
• Medical costs.

The above list is not exhaustive, however it is important that the nature of the expenditure for which assistance is being provided is clearly identified.

Tuition fees, registration fees, student loan repayments or any costs borne by your college are not covered by the Student Assistance Fund.

Students on full- or part-time courses leading to a higher education award (National Framework of Qualifications level 6-10) in Irish universities, institutes of technology and other approved colleges can apply. The Student Assistance Fund is not available to students in further education or post-leaving certificate colleges. Students who are lone parents are encouraged to apply as additional funding has been made available to support this group. Support from the Student Assistance Fund may also be available to students studying for a Professional Master of Education, for example to cover the cost of spending time in the Gaeltacht.

If you are in financial difficulty, you should contact the access or student services office in your college for more information on how to apply for the Student Assistance Fund. It is important to apply as soon as you can when the fund is open generally around September/October. Some colleges have a closing date for applications and you should check when this is. You can also speak to the Students' Union Welfare Officer for more information by emailing support@atussu.ie.

The access office will advise you on the documentation needed to support your application to the Student Assistance Fund. This may include proof of your own or your parents’ income, as appropriate, and receipts for costs such as rent, bills or childcare so make sure you keep this receipts from the start of the year.

The Student Assistance Fund is administered on a strictly confidential basis by your college. Any information you provide as part of your application is protected under the data protection regulations of the college.

Your individual circumstances and financial means will be taken into consideration by your college when assessing your application to the Student Assistance Fund. Final decisions on awards may be taken by a small committee, including the Access Officer and Students' Union Welfare Officer.

Funding amounts vary and will be determined the college following an assessment process.

The Students' Union can provide useful information about student accommodation particularly to 1st year students. This is a free-to-use service run by ATU Sligo Students' Union. which assists students in finding suitable accommodation around Sligo. You can call (0719141887) during office hours 09.30am - 4.30pm Monday - Thursday or by emailing support@atussu.ie . If you would like to advertise accommodation, please fill in our listing form in the Accommodation section of the site.

#1 Rule: Always view accommodation before paying a deposit.

1. Plan an afternoon/evening of viewings. Try to have at least 3 or 4 viewings planned for any one day.
2. Always meet the landlord before agreeing to anything.
3. Agree on a rent. Set it from the beginning. Make it clear how much you will be charged per month and what that will include (Will you get food? Are bills included? Are you paying for Christmas months? Etc.)
4. Sort out the finer details. If there are things that annoy you or if there are rules in the house you should comply with, find out now. Things that aren’t aired out can fester and lead to avoidable arguments. Neither side wants that.

Finding accommodation has become more difficult but there are still plenty of rooms available. From the 3rd week in July, the Students' Union will be updating a list of Self Catering and Digs accommodation.

There are three main categories of Student Accommodation available in ATU Sligo SU;

1. Purpose Built Student Accommodation,
2. Self Catering Accommodation,
3. Digs/Lodging.

More information of these accommodation types are available below.

There is a large quantity of quality Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) available within a 5/10 walk from ATU Sligo SU. Detailed information on these accommodation providers can be found here. PBSA is reserved only for students and the providers try to place 1st year students with first years etc. A room in PBSA will cost you anywhere between €3500 - €4500 approx for the academic year. There are 6 main providers recommended by the Students' Union;

• Unirooms,
• The Grove Student Complex,
• Milligan Court Student Accommodation,
• Gateway Apartments,
• Clarion Village Student Accommodation
• Benbulben Court Apartments.

 

There are a number of places online that you can search in order to view properties in all areas of Sligo. There will be loads of accommodation in the Ballinode area where the college is situated and the city centre is only a 10 minute walk from the college. Prices for a room start from as low as €65 per week up to €700 per month for a 3 bedroom house. The best place to start your search is right here on the Students' Union's website but you can also seach at the links below;

• Students' Union,
• www.rent.ie
• www.date.ie

We have a list of properties who have rooms available to students. Digs are traditionally a little more expensive than private rented accommodation but should include Breakfast and Dinner. Digs generally cost between €80 - €120 per week and vary in what they include (many include bills, meals, laundry etc. within this price). Make sure to clarify what the cost includes. In almost all cases you will be sharing the property with the Landlord. You can start by looking on the Students' Union Website