Winners Announced « Back
Ireland's eGovernment Awards 2009
And the winner is ..... www.studentfinance.ie
We are delighted to announce that studentfinance.ie has won first place in the category, Ireland's Education eGovernment Award at the eGovernment Awards 2009.
Ireland's eGovernment Awards are now in their seventh year. The Awards raise awareness and recognise the innovators, developers, forward thinkers and experts who are pioneering the changes in how the Irish Government delivers services to its citizens.
An initiative of The Higher Education Authority (HEA), studentfinance.ie is a convenient and user-friendly source of information on financial support for further and higher education. Before developing the site the HEA carried out an intensive review of access funding for students entering third level education. It identified a serious problem in the information stream. Some candidates who may be eligible for grant aid where either unaware of the supports available to them, or where so confused as to their options that they missed their chance for further education all together.
The site was promoted through an integrated marketing campaign including posters, leaflets, online advertising, radio ads, and PR activities last summer, reaching its peak during the key August / September period when Leaving Cert results and CAO offers are published.
The campaign featured a fresh, clean StudentFinance.ie brand identity with the call to action tagline ‘it's your future'. The website and marketing materials have a bright, positive feel to appeal to a young student audience using images of ‘students' of all age groups and circumstances to show that third level education is accessible to all.
www.studentfinance.ie has been designed to help users to quickly and conveniently identify the various sources of financial support for which they are eligible and how they can apply. The website features text resizing and low vision options and its structure reflects established best practice in maximising accessibility.
A ‘Maintenance Grant' section provides a convenient step-by-step guide to eligibility in clear, user-friendly terms and can guide students through the scheme requirements in a way that is relevant to individual circumstances. Step-by-step guides are also provided for other sources of financial assistance for students, such as ‘Fund for Students with Disabilities', ‘Back to Education Allowance', ‘Student Assistance Fund' and the ‘Millennium Fund'. Information on course fees, along with details on eligibility for free fees are also available.
Studentfinance.ie was also nominated for a Golden Spider award in 2008.
