Vol. 403 No. 4
266 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Education if she intends to make the changes in qualifying standards for third level college grants retrospective to cover all students currently pursuing third level courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
269 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education the cost of making retrospective, to include those who passed the leaving certificate in previous years, the new arrangement whereby the academic requirement for higher education grants has been reduced from four honours to two honours; and if she is prepared to make this concession retrospective.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 269 together.
I was very pleased to have been in a position to remove the long standing anomaly in the higher education grants scheme by allowing students with two honours in the 1990 leaving certificate who secure a place on an approved third level course to be eligible for a higher education grant subject to satisfying the other requirements re. means, residence, etc.
The revised two honours rule will apply only in respect of leaving certificate results in 1990 and subsequent years. Students with leaving certificate successes prior to 1990 will be subject to the terms of the higher education grants scheme of the year in which they secured the leaving certificate successes. In accordance with normal practice the improvements in the higher education grants scheme made for the 1990-91 academic year are applicable from a current date.
