Jim Mitchell
Ceist:117 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education if there are any higher education grants available to a person who is in receipt of social welfare payment to undertake a full-time degree course at night in UCD.
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
Under the terms of the Higher Education Grants Scheme all grant-aided courses must be full-time courses of not less than two years duration. Students following part-time or evening courses are not eligible for grant-aid under the scheme.
The Department of Social Welfare administers a third level allowance scheme, which allows the older long term unemployed, who obtain a place at third level, the opportunity to pursue their studies while retaining entitlement to their unemployment payments. Participants must be aged 23 years, or over, and have been in receipt of a payment for at least 12 months. Higher education grants are not assessable against their social welfare entitlements. That scheme was extended to include lone parents from the beginning of the 1993-94 academic year.