Holly Cairns
Question:388. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will expand SUSI funding to graduate entry medicine. [49598/21]
View answerTuesday, 12 October 2021
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Progression is a key tenet of the Student Grant Scheme and section 2 of the Student Support Act 2011 defines progression as "the process by which learners may transfer from one course to another course where the award that may be made on the successful completion of the second mentioned course is of a higher level..."
Students accessing graduate entry medicine will, as a matter of course, hold a level 8 qualification prior to entry and completion of a graduate entry medicine degree confers a further level 8 qualification. Students pursuing second degree courses are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants, and therefore graduate entry medicine students have not qualified for these programmes since the introduction of this course.
In order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Institutions participating in the graduate medical programme have been requested to provide accompanying services and supports to facilitate the participation of disadvantaged students in the programme. Details of these services and supports are available from the relevant institution.
The Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments approval was given to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. The review is being conducted by external consultants. It is anticipated that the SUSI review will be completed later this year and will inform policy priorities for the next Estimates process and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.
Students on graduate entry medicine courses may be eligible to apply to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for financial support. The SAF guidelines provide that students with a previous higher education qualification at the same NFQ level, or who, in the past, attended higher education without ultimately obtaining a qualification, may be considered for support on a case-by-case basis and subject to available funding.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie
In conclusion there are significant policy, legislative and funding considerations, as well as wider implications for other graduate entry courses, to the current treatment of graduate entry medicine course. These are subject to consideration, including as part of the annual Estimates process, as part of the ongoing consideration of student supports.