Vol. 510 No. 2
129 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science if grant assistance will be made available to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 towards her education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22132/99]
In order to qualify for financial assistance under the schemes of third level student support, a person must pursue a full-time undergraduate course, which must generally be of at least two years duration, at an approved third level institution. Part-time courses do not qualify for third level grants.
Any proposal to extend the third level student support schemes to students pursuing part-time courses must be considered in the light of available financial resources and competing needs in the education sector.
In the 1997-98 academic year, there were more than 25,000 part-time students at third level. The steering committee on the future development of higher education considered the profile of part-time students in 1996-97 and found that almost 90 per cent of part-time students were in employment. In this context, I would point out that under section 475 of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, tax relief is available at the standard rate for tuition fees paid by eligible students who are attending approved part-time third level courses. The candidate to whom the Deputy refers should contact her local tax office regarding her eligibility to benefit from this tax relief.
Against this background, I have no immediate plans to extend the financial support schemes to part-time students.
