Vol. 550 No. 4
814 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Education and Science if his Department will arrange compensation for students attending third level college in the United Kingdom arising from currency fluctuations in order to maintain the real value of the grant assistance and to recognise the increasing cost of third level students at home and abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8958/02]
With effect from 1996, the student support schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to undergraduate students pursuing approved third level courses in other EU member states. Prior to this grants were only payable to students who were pursuing approved courses in the Republic and Northern Ireland. In this context it was agreed that students pursuing approved courses in other EU member states, including in Northern Ireland, would be paid the value of the grants in the currency of the country in which they were studying and that the value of the maintenance grant to be paid in all circumstances would be the Irish value converted to the currency of the country in which the student is pursuing his or her course.
In December 1999, in response to a number of representations, local authorities and vocational education committees were advised that grant-holders should be given the option of having their grant paid either in Irish punts or in the currency of the country in which they are studying. This concession allowed students studying in Northern Ireland or the UK to receive their grants in Irish punts and, since January in euro, rather than sterling if they so wish.
815 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will provide details of grants available to mature students who wish to avail of a full-time course at a third level institution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8965/02]
My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students which is administered by the local authorities and the vocational education committees. These are as follows: the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees; and the maintenance grants scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate courses.
Generally speaking, students who are entering approved courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level for the first time are eligible for maintenance grants where they satisfy the relevant conditions as to age, residence, means and nationality.
For the purpose of the third level maintenance grant schemes, a mature student is defined as a person of not less than 23 years of age on 1 January in the year of entry to the third level institution.
Under the free fees initiative my Department meets the tuition fees of eligible students attending full-time undergraduate courses, which must generally be of at least two years duration.
Students studying at postgraduate level may apply for financial assistance under two of the maintenance grant schemes: the higher education grants scheme and the VEC scholarship scheme.
Maintenance grants are payable at either adjacent or non-adjacent rates. The adjacent rate of grant is payable where the grantholder's residence is 15 miles or less from the college being attended. The non-adjacent rate of grant is payable in all other cases. The adjacent and non-adjacent rate of grant for the current academic year is €2,390 and €956, respectively.
From 1999-2000, as part of a funding initiative at third level, the higher non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant is paid to all eligible mature students, irrespective of distance from college.
I have introduced special rates of maintenance grant payable to disadvantaged grantholders with effect from the 2000-01 academic year. Recently I announced that the special rates of grant will be available to mature students, that is, students aged 23 and over, subject to specific conditions, from Easter.
