Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005
1079 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science the ways in which a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 can be assisted by the State or State agencies to further their education under certain circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1135/05]
View answerUnder the free fees initiative, my Department meets the tuition fees of eligible students who are attending full-time undergraduate courses, which must be of at least two years duration, at approved colleges. Eligible students are those who are first time undergraduates, who hold EU nationality or official refugee status or have been ordinarily resident in an EU member state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved course.
My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one grant scheme in respect of post leaving certificate courses. These include the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees; maintenance grants scheme for students attending post leaving certificate courses. The statutory framework for the higher education grants schemes is set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. It is the local authorities which, on behalf of my Department, administer this scheme. The vocational education committees' scholarship scheme, the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and the scheme for post leaving certificate students are administered, on behalf of my Department, by the vocational education committees.
All four schemes have similar provisions which govern the award of a grant. Students who are entering approved courses for the first time are eligible for grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. An application for a grant must be made to the relevant local authority or vocational education committee. Decisions on applications are taken by these bodies based on the terms of the schemes which issue from my Department.
The national development plan, with assistance from the European social fund, provides for a third level access fund aimed at tackling under-representation by disadvantaged students in third-level education. The third level access fund includes initiatives such as the special rates of maintenance grant; the European social fund aided fund for students with disabilities; the European social fund aided student assistance fund; the European social fund aided partnership fund. Eligibility to the special rates of maintenance grant is determined by reference to an income threshold and receipt of an approved long-term social welfare payment. To be eligible, applicants must first qualify for the ordinary maintenance grant. The fund for students with disabilities aims to assist students with disabilities in third level institutions and post leaving certificate colleges to participate in further and higher education. The purpose of the fund is to provide students with serious physical and/or sensory disabilities with grant assistance towards the cost of special equipment, special materials and technological aids, targeted transport services, personal assistants and sign language interpreters. The fund operates on a discretionary basis. Applications for funding should be made by the disability/access officer in the institution, or by the principal in a post leaving certificate college. Students should discuss their particular disability, and equipment or services required, with their institution or post leaving certificate college.
In publicly funded third level institutions there is a student assistance fund. The objective of the fund is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate manner who might otherwise, because of financial reasons, suffer severe hardship or be unable to continue their third level studies. Applications for funding should be made by the individual student to the access officer in their institution. The fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
The final initiative under the third level access fund is the millennium partnership fund for disadvantage. The objective of this fund is to support students from disadvantaged areas with regard to retention and participation in further or higher education courses. Partnership companies and community groups manage the fund locally. Area Development Management manages the fund for the Department of Education and Science. Under the fund, eligible actions may include, although will be dependent on the individual partnership or community group financial supports to meet student participation costs; provision of information, such as guidance and mentoring; study supports including tuition, study skills.
From correspondence supplied, the candidate referred to by the Deputy was unsuccessful in his application to his local partnership company for assistance under the millennium partnership fund to his local partnership company. Decisions on eligibility for assistance under the fund are taken at a local level by the community groups and partnership companies administering the fund, based on the allocation that they have available to them in any given year, and the criteria governing the fund. My Department has no involvement with the local application/decision making process.
Section 473A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 provides for tax relief on tuition fees, at the standard rate in respect of approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including certain approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU and non-EU member states. The maximum level of qualifying fee for tax relief purposes in the current academic year 2004-05 is €3,175. The maximum level on such qualifying fees will be increased from €3,175 to €5,000 per year for the academic year 2005-06. Further details and application forms to claim tax relief on tuition fees are available from the Revenue Commissioners.
