Olivia Mitchell
Question:489 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 14 is not eligible for any higher education grant assistance. [23630/01]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
The question relates to a person who is pursuing, or who intends to pursue, a degree in medicine in the UK. In 1996, the student support schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in other EU member states. In general, the approved courses in other member states are full-time undergraduate courses of not less than two years duration pursued in a university or third level institution, which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds. There are, however, a number of excepted courses including those in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and teacher-training courses including those leading to the award of Bachelor of Education. Medicine is an excepted course on the basis that similar courses in Ireland are subject to a quota based on policy decisions on the appropriate levels of graduate output.
Apart from this provision, the higher education grants scheme provides that students, who have previously pursued an undergraduate course approved for the purposes of the scheme, shall not receive a grant under this scheme until they have completed an equivalent period of study at undergraduate level, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid previously. It is understood that the student in question has already completed four years study at undergraduate level. In light of both these provisions, therefore, the student, referred to by the Deputy, is ineligible for funding under the terms of the higher education grants scheme.
Tony Gregory
Question:490 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 1104 of 3 October 2001, persons on long-term unemployment assistance are eligible for the top-up standard student maintenance grant of £1,200. [23631/01]
The special rates of maintenance grant are payable only where a student is already in receipt of a maintenance grant under one of the following means tested maintenance grant schemes: the higher education grants scheme, the vocational education committees' (VEC) scholarship scheme, third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and maintenance grants scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses.
My Department understands that a full-time student who is in receipt of one of the above maintenance grants cannot, at the same time, be in receipt of an unemployment assistance payment from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. However, a student who qualifies for the standard maintenance grant and whose parent or guardian is in receipt of the long-term unemployment assistance payment may be eligible for the special rate of maintenance grant.
I am arranging for my Department to forward full details of the eligibility criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant to the Deputy for his information.