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Student Universal Support Ireland

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 April 2021

Thursday, 29 April 2021

Questions (92)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

92. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the percentage of SUSI funding that goes towards covering the student contribution charge in each year since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22436/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Student Grant Scheme is the principal support for students in financial terms by my Department. It provides grant assistance to eligible students attending approved full-time courses in approved further or higher educational institutions who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria of the relevant scheme. The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the national student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), a business unit of CDETB. 

Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. 

 Under the Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate Higher Education students with students paying the student contribution. The student contribution fee is currently set at €3,000 per annum and can be paid in instalments.  The State pays the contribution in full or part, through SUSI.

 The attached table gives the amount of funding for each year from 2012.

Note:

- The early  years of SUSI had all or mainly New applicants so ONLY years from 2015-16  onwards can be compared to each other.

- It is not  possible to provide figures for 2011 as SUSI was not operational until  2012.  

Percentage of SUSI funding that went towards covering the student contribution charge in each year since 2012 as per 23rd of April 2021

Academic Year

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

Student Contribution %

41%

47%

50%

52%

51%

51%

50%

51%

49%

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