Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021
477. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the institutional or other scholarships available including grants from research funders and financial assistance to aid students pursuing professional master's in education in a university (details supplied) following completion of undergraduate studies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33445/21]
View answerThe main support available to assist postgraduate students with the cost of attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme and the Programme for Government committed to addressing the gap in postgraduate grants. From September 2021 the postgraduate fee grant will increase to €3,500 from €2,000. This increase will allay some of the costs for postgraduate study and would give greater certainty for students in terms of supports. In addition the fee income threshold will increase to €54,240 from €31,500 from September 2021.
SUSI opened its application process for the 2021/22 academic year on March 31 and to date has received over 67,000 applications. I also secured an additional €20m in Budget 2021 to meet anticipated demands on the scheme as a consequence of the Covid pandemic. Grant applications are submitted online via www.susi.ie. Further information in relation to student grant assistance is also available from this website. The telephone number for SUSI’s Helpdesk is 0761 087 874.
The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial support to full- and part-time students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending higher education. Under the Fund, financial support can be provided to assist students who are unable to meet costs associated with day-to-day participation in higher education, including a number of categories such as books and other class material, rent, heating and lighting bills and other utility bills, essential travel, childcare costs etc.
In response to the Covid19 pandemic, the SAF allocation for the 2020/21 academic year was doubled from €8.1 million to €16.2 million. Since 2017, an additional €1 million per year has been allocated to the SAF with HEIs asked to prioritise and ring-fence this element of funding for the support of part-time students who are lone parents or members of the other access target groups identified in the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education. An additional €1 million was added to the fund in 2018 for students attending Professional Masters of Education (PME) courses, who are experiencing financial difficulty. This additional funding was also made available for the 2019/20 year and again in 2020/21.
In relation to other supports tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners at www.revenue.ie.
Students are encouraged to engage with their institution to discuss any issues in relation to their course, including information on scholarships that may be available directly from the institution attended.
