{"id":3935,"date":"2021-01-14T19:23:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T19:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlaoiseinstitute.ie\/?page_id=3935"},"modified":"2026-02-27T12:35:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:35:02","slug":"faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.portlaoiseinstitute.ie\/?page_id=3935","title":{"rendered":"FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"3935\" class=\"elementor elementor-3935\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-66886f21 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"66886f21\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-444fc6c5\" data-id=\"444fc6c5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25cb002 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"25cb002\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/span><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-22e3ca95 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"22e3ca95\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d3cc251\" data-id=\"d3cc251\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e3c7828 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e3c7828\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/www.portlaoiseinstitute.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/faq-300x120.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-3959\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.portlaoiseinstitute.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/faq-300x120.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.portlaoiseinstitute.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/faq.jpg 550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eaf5a47 elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon elementor-view-default elementor-widget-divider--element-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"eaf5a47\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon elementor-divider__element\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-user-graduate\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ab9554 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2ab9554\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><span style=\"color: #196660;\"><strong>Course:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>When do courses begin?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Our full time day courses begin in September. Students will notified prior to commencement date.<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>When do courses finish?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Courses finish in May.<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>What time are classes?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Classes take place between Monday and Thursday between 9:00am to 3.55pm each day and 9:00am to 1:15pm on a Friday. The duration of your typical college day depends upon your course of study.\u00a0<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>When will my timetable be available?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Timetables are available at induction.\u00a0 This usually occurs during the first week in September.<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>What time does the college open and close?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Portlaoise Institute opens at 8.00am and closes at 5.00pm. Offices hours are 8.30am to 4.30am.\u00a0<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>What way are the breaks structured throughout the day?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>There is a morning break at 11:00am for 15 minutes.\u00a0 The common lunch break runs from 1.15pm -1.55pm daily.<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>Are your courses full time?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>No we offer a variety of full and part time course<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>Is Portlaoise Institute supportive of mature students?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Yes, Portlaoise Institute encourages and supports all students in their learning objectives. We are especially aware of the richness in life experience and diversity of accomplished skills already present within mature students. This adds greatly to the depth of peer learning among student groups<\/p><h2><span style=\"color: #196660;\"><strong>Application:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>How do I apply for a course at Portlaoise Institute?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>You can only apply online on this website or through\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fetchcourses.ie\/\">www.fetchcourses.ie<\/a>\u00a0<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>When should I apply for a course?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Applications usually begin in late January, early applications are always advisable to avoid classes filling up and increase your chances of getting a position.<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>I applied for the wrong course by mistake what do I do?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>Don&#8217;t panic if you applied for the wrong course you can contact us requesting a transfer.<\/p><h2><span style=\"color: #196660;\"><strong>Funding:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>Where can I go for information on potential funding for my studies?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>The website\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/hea.ie\/funding-governance-performance\/funding\/student-finance\/\">http:\/\/hea.ie\/funding-governance-performance\/funding\/student-finance\/<\/a>\u00a0is the go to website for information on funding your studies.<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>Where can I go to apply for a grant?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>The website\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/susi.ie\/\">https:\/\/susi.ie\/<\/a>\u00a0is where you can go to apply for grants.<\/p><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>Am I eligible for the Back to Education scheme?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>To check your eligibility you can visit Social Welfare Back to Education Allowance.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.welfare.ie\/en\/Pages\/353_Back-to-Education-Allowance.aspx\">http:\/\/www.welfare.ie\/en\/Pages\/353_Back-to-Education-Allowance.aspx<\/a><\/p><h2><span style=\"color: #196660;\"><strong>Fees:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><h3><span style=\"color: #93003c;\"><strong>What fees do I need to pay at Portlaoise Institute?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3><p>All learners are required to pay the following:<\/p><p>An exam fee of \u20ac50, to be paid when offered a place on a course. <strong>This fee is non refundabl<\/strong>e\u00a0 This fee is exempt if you have a medical card.\u00a0<\/p><p>Other costs (books, exams, equipment, professional membership fees, optional training etc.) are also payable. These costs vary depending on the course chosen. Information on costs is provided during Induction.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2fb19c elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon elementor-view-default elementor-widget-divider--element-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"e2fb19c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon elementor-divider__element\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-user-graduate\"><\/i><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Frequently Asked Questions Course: When do courses begin? Our full time day courses begin in September. Students will notified prior to commencement date. When do courses finish? Courses finish in May. What time are classes? Classes take place between Monday and Thursday between 9:00am to 3.55pm each day and 9:00am to 1:15pm on a Friday. 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