Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 October 2021
389. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will amend the free fees criteria to allow students on graduate entry and integrated masters programmes to access it for the duration of their studies. [49599/21]
View answerUnder the Department's Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the Exchequer pays tuition fees on behalf of eligible first time undergraduate students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. In order to qualify for funding under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative, students must meet the criteria of the scheme including previous education attainment.
In this regard students attending a graduate entry course are not eligible for free fees funding, Students entering such courses are undertaking second degree courses having already obtained a level 8 qualification and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding for any periods of study at the same year level.
As referenced above, funding under the FFI is available for undergraduate awards only. In practice, this means that only the undergraduate portion of an integrated masters programme would be eligible for free fees funding. A full tuition fee is payable by all students for any postgraduate/Level 9 award portion of the course of study. Separately, SUSI grant support is available for those students who meet the qualifying criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. Different supports are available to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Qualifying students attending integrated/intercalated courses, will be initially assessed in respect of the undergraduate portion of the course. A separate application will be required in respect of the portion of the course deemed to be the postgraduate element.
Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs, including the management of academic affairs. They retain the right to determine their own policies and procedures. The total level of fees to be charged in the case of graduate entry courses or the postgraduate element of an integrated masters course are therefore solely a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with its own criteria.
My Department currently has no plans to provide free fees funding for second degree courses or postgraduate years under the FFI.
