Dan Neville
Question:278 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make higher education grants available to mature students who are studying nursing. [13031/02]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
The revised programme for basic pre-registration nurse education and training which was introduced in October 1994 and fully oper ational since 1998, is at present funded by the Department of Health and Children. Successful completion of the three-year programme leads to a diploma in nursing studies and students are eligible to register with An Bord Altranais for employment as a nurse. While undertaking the diploma programme, the students' fees are paid by the relevant health agency.
In 2001 the Government approved the implementation of a new four-year undergraduate pre-registration nursing degree programme commencing in the academic year 2002-03. Accordingly, with effect from the 2002-03 academic year, students pursuing the bachelor of science degree in nursing will be eligible to benefit under the free fees initiative, whereby the State meets the tuition fees of students who are attending full-time undergraduate courses, subject to the terms and conditions of that initiative.
With effect from the 2002-03 academic year, the bachelor of science degree in nursing will also be an approved course for the purposes of the higher education maintenance grants scheme and the vocational education scholarship scheme. Under the terms of the grants schemes, a mature student is defined as a candidate who is at least 23 years of age on 1 January of the year of entry or re-entry to an approved course.
Mature students are categorised as either independent mature students or mature students dependent on parents. An independent mature student is defined to mean a mature student who was not ordinarily resident at home with his/her parents from the October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are deemed to be self-supporting and are assessed without reference to either their parents' income or address.
When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the students' means and those of their parents or guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that parental income be taken into account irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not a mature student.