Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
425. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of reducing the student contribution charge by €1,000 from the start of the coming academic year; the estimated cost of reducing the charge in September 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38502/22]
View answerAt the outset it is important to highlight the very substantial financial support, currently well in excess of half a billion euros, provided by the taxpayer towards tuition fees and the student contribution for students in higher education. This comprises State funding of tuition costs amounting to over €357m for more than 146,000 eligible higher education students in 2020/2021. It also includes €190m paid by the Exchequer under the Student Grant Scheme in respect of all or some of the €3,000 student contribution which benefitted over 65,000 or 45% of free fees eligible students.
The student contribution replaced the student registration fees levied by Higher Education Institutions and while the student contribution now stands at €3,000, it is important to recognise that there has been no increase in the student contribution charge since 2014/15.
The estimated cost of providing for a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution [reduce to €2,000] in 2022/2023, after an associated reduction in the student grant support budget, is €85.3million.
The above estimate is based on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2020/21; taking into account overall projected increases in student numbers and net of the associated estimated reduction in the student grant scheme budget which is paid by the exchequer on behalf of eligible students.
