Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
560. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will respond to concerns and proposals raised in correspondence by a person (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24714/22]
View answerThe loans available for GEM students are private arrangements between the relevant lenders and the students applying for such loans. Notwithstanding this position my Department has been made aware of reports regarding the specific loan scheme for graduate entry medicine and is currently seeking further information on this issue.
The fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education.
Entry to medicine in Irish HEIs is provided through both undergraduate and graduate entry routes. Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) is one of the pathways to study medicine. Students pursuing graduate entry medicine (GEM) programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, 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). In academic year 20/21 the state contribution was €11,524 per student with the balance of fees payable by the student.
The Student Grant Scheme review comments on the issue of Graduate Entry Medicine and states that a wider issues remains as to whether greater flexibility in the criteria for student grant scheme could be considered in areas of critical skills shortage reflecting graduate entry routes.
There are significant policy, legislative and funding considerations, as well as wider implications, if the current treatment of graduate entry medicine was amended. However, we now have this review and all elements will be subject to consideration by my Department, including prioritisation and consideration of the cost of education measures through the annual estimates process. This will include any additional supports for Students of graduate entry medicine.
The National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (NAP) identifies target groups that are currently under-represented in higher education. These include entrants from socio-economic groups that have low participation in higher education who would not have considered attending higher education without such supports. The Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Fund is the funding mechanise established to implement the National Access Plan (NAP). There are three strands to the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) with an overall funding envelope of €42m between the periods 2017 to 2022. Strand 2 provides bursaries to students who have been identified by their higher education institution as being the most socio-economically disadvantaged students in the target groups under the National Access Plan. With effect from the 2021/22 academic year, a three-tier system of bursary provision has been introduced. This consists of the existing 203 bursaries arising from the original call worth €5,000 per annum (Tier 1), 120 bursaries worth €2,000 per annum (Tier 2) and a number of once-off bursaries worth €1,500 payable for the 2021/22 academic year only (Tier 3).
Students on graduate entry medicine courses may also 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. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
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.
