Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2023
635. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider extending the grants which are available on a means-tested basis towards the student contribution charged by Irish colleges, to cover Irish students studying in the EU or the UK who face similar charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46245/23]
View answerThrough the Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the State provides funding, exclusive of the student contribution, towards the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students who are pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of study in an approved higher education institution in the State.
Courses outside the State are not included under the FFI and the student contribution arrangements under the FFI do not apply. The tuition fee, or any contribution towards fees, payable by a student attending a higher education course of study outside the state is not under the remit of my Department and students pay the applicable tuition fee to the higher education institution attended.
As student contribution grants under the Student Grant Scheme exist exclusively to assist students in paying their student contribution, it is not possible to extend this type of grant to students who are not eligible for free fees and therefore do not pay the student contribution.
