Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2017
264. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost in 2018 of abolishing all third level fees, both capitation and tuition, for under graduate and post graduate. [39791/17]
View answerBased on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2015/16 (and were therefore liable to pay the Student Contribution), and taking into account overall expected increases in student numbers, it is estimated that the net cost to my Department of abolishing the Student Contribution for undergraduate students for the 2018/19 academic year would be approximately €220 m. This figure takes into account the resulting reduction to my Department's Student Grant Scheme budget.
With regard to funding towards tuition fees at undergraduate level, my Department provided funding of €282m in the academic year 2015/16 under the free fees schemes.
The cost to the State associated with the abolition of postgraduate fees is dependent on varying factors associated with the type of study i.e. full-time or part-time, varying fees associated with different course types and higher fees for international students.
However, based on the number of EU students registered on postgraduate courses in the academic year 2016/17, and using the average cost of an EU postgraduate course, the estimated cost to the State of abolishing fees for EU postgraduate students for the 2018/19 academic year would be €80 m. It should also be noted that under my Department's Student Grant Scheme, funding of €8m was provided for postgraduate tuition fees in 2016/17. Taking this into account, the net additional cost to my Department would therefore be in the region of €72m.
It should be noted that the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education found that abolishing student registration fees for undergraduate students while delivering the level of investment that the higher education system needs would cost the State €1.3 billion extra per annum.
The Government is committed to providing a more sustainable funding model for higher education, as evidenced by the fact that Budget 2017 provided the first increase in investment in higher education since 2009, involving €36.5 million extra funding in 2017 and €160 million extra over 3 years. In addition the Government is exploring the possibility of an employer-exchequer funding mechanism which could realise up to €200 million in additional annual funding by 2020.
