Dan Neville
Question:241 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Education and Science the courses in psychotherapy and counselling which are assisted under the higher education scheme. [19971/04]
View answerTuesday, 6 July 2004
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Written answers
A specific list of the courses that are assisted under the higher education scheme is not available. However, the higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992 and the annual higher education grants scheme, which I approve, sets out a definition of an approved course for the purposes of the scheme. Courses that fall within the definition of an approved course in an approved institution are, therefore, assisted under the higher education scheme.
An approved course is defined to mean, a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two year's duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one years' duration pursued in an approved institution listed in the scheme. The approved institutions mainly comprise the publicly funded third level institutions; a full-time undergraduate course 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 in another EU member state with the exception of the following: courses in colleges of further and higher education other than courses which are at higher national diploma level or higher; courses provided in a college which are offered in private commercial third level colleges and which are validated by that college; courses in colleges akin to private commercial colleges in Ireland; a full-time undergraduate course of a minimum duration of one year in one of the approved institutions listed in the scheme which represents progression from a FETAC, NCVA, level 2 award qualification and which leads to the award of a qualification of third level standard following a terminal examination; and a full-time undergraduate course of a minimum duration of one year in one of the approved institutions listed in the scheme which represents progression from a national diploma course to an add-on degree course.