Higher Education Grants.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2009

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Questions (360, 361, 362)

Olivia Mitchell

Question:

378 Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if a direction was given to local authorities regarding fee scholarships as income, which has rendered many PhD students ineligible for the local authority grant; if he will review this in the case of students who have already started their degree in view of the fact that the subsequent hardship may force them to drop out of their courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46638/09]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe)

I wish to refer to clause 2.2 and 2.3 of the Higher Education Grants Scheme 2009 and Clause 2.1 and 2.2 of the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme 2009. Clause 2.2 states:

2.2 A candidate shall not be eligible to hold a grant under this Scheme if he/she holds:

(i) a scholarship/grant awarded by another Local Authority, a Vocational Education Committee or the Department of Education and Science, or

(ii) any other award payable from public funds, or

(iii) the equivalent of (i) or (ii) from another E.U. Member State.

The provisions at (ii) or (iii) do not include awards such as scholarships, prizes or bursaries, made by the institution being attended or postgraduate research grants where the grant received does not exceed a specified amount, which for the 2009-10 academic year, is specified to be €16,000. In addition, the provision at (ii) does not include awards to candidates under the Student Assistance Fund, the Millennium Partnership Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities. Clause 2.3 states:

2.3 Notwithstanding clause 2.2 above holders of the following scholarships, if eligible, may also hold a maintenance grant:

Easter Week Scholarship Holders

Donagh O'Malley Scholarship Holders

All Ireland Scholarship Holders

Science Foundation Ireland/Dell Scholarship for Young Women in Engineering.

Under these clauses, the full value of the award to the student, from public funds, is taken into consideration. Such awards may include two elements: one in respect of fees — either an amount towards the cost of fees or a fee waiver — and, the second, a stipend paid directly to the student for living costs. Where the full value of the award does not exceed the limit specified in the schemes, the student may also be approved for funding under the student grant schemes subject to the terms and conditions of the scheme.

Question No. 379 answered with Question No. 377.

Billy Timmins

Question:

380 Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46675/09]

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe)

The statutory framework for the maintenance grants scheme, as set out in the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992, provides for means-tested higher education grants in order to assist students to attend full-time third level education. The position is that the Third Level Student Support Schemes operated under my Department do not extend to postgraduate study outside of Ireland. The student support schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing certain full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration in another EU Member State, with effect from the 1996/97 academic year. The extension of the schemes at that time did not include courses at postgraduate level.

There are no plans at present to extend the current arrangements to provide for students pursuing post-graduate courses outside Ireland. Any such extension could only be considered in the light of available resources and other competing demands within the education sector. However, Section 21 of the Finance Act 2000 provides for the introduction of tax relief for postgraduate fees paid in publicly funded colleges here and in other EU Member States as well as in private colleges in this state. This relief, which applies at the standard rate of tax, is available to full time and part time postgraduate students and includes distance education courses offered by publicly funded colleges in other EU Member States. Further details on claiming this relief are available from local tax offices or on Revenue's website, www.revenue.ie.

Question No. 381 answered with Question No. 376.

Sean Sherlock

Question:

382 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Science the average waiting times for the processing of the third level grants available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46694/09]

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe)

The process of assessing eligibility for third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant Local Authority or VEC. Both VECs and local authorities are experiencing pressures due to the increased workload associated with the increased demand for the schemes, particularly in the context of the recruitment moratorium in the public sector which, in some instances, is affecting the processing of grants. However, every effort is being made by these bodies to ensure that students get decisions on their grant applications and are paid as soon as possible.

The average waiting time for the processing of grant applications varies between the 66 awarding bodies depending on a number of variables including the volume of applications received, staffing resources and whether or not completed application forms have been received. This information is not available at present, but will be collected as part of the Department's January survey of grant applications in the VECs and local authorities.