Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 December 2020
323. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will introduce a mechanism for fourth year student nurses not in receipt of SUSI to receive the €250 refund in view of the fact that they will not be on campus in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42738/20]
View answerIn recognition of the challenges facing full time third level students the Government has approved once off funding of €50m to provide additional financial assistance in this academic year.
The funding, which was provided in Budget 2021, in recognition of the significant upheaval they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic will offer financial assistance to all EU full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students attending publicly funded Higher Education Institutions (HEI).
The scheme will ensure students;
- Who avail of the SUSI grant will receive €250 top-up in their grant;
- Students who do not avail of the grant but attend publicly funded Higher Education Institutions in the state can reduce by €250 any outstanding contribution fee payments or receive a €250 credit note for their institution;
- In a small number of cases, alternative arrangements will be made for the payment of the monies to students.
The latter two options are to designed to ensure students, including student nurses, who are not in receipt of SUSI benefit from the measure. It is also the intention that these address circumstances where students are in final year, have paid their contribution fee and may not be on campus, as in the case of final year student nurses on clinical placement. I assure the Deputy it is my clear expectation that student nurses will benefit from this support and I am assured the mechanisms in place can ensure that.
SUSI and institutions will be communicating directly with students on arrangements and information from SUSI is available here: https://susi.ie/covid-19-once-off-emergency-grant/.
This builds on the specific student supports in response to Covid, which I announced in July including the provision of additional student assistance including a doubling of the Student Assistance Fund, and a €15 million technology fund for devices for students in further and higher education to assist with difficulties in accessing technology to facilitate their course work in a blended capacity. These supports are being distributed through the colleges and further education providers.
