Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018
288. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he envisages extending the qualifying criteria for the payment of fees to third level education institutions for returning Irish masters and doctoral students as per the initiative announced by his predecessor on 17 March 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24276/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, in order to qualify for funding towards tuition fees, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.
Where undergraduate students do not qualify for free fees they are required to pay fees to the higher education institution at either an ‘EU rate’ or a higher ‘Non-EU rate’.
My Department does not provide free fees or core funding for post-graduate programmes. The announcement mentioned by the Deputy refers to undergraduate students only and therefore the criteria governing the level of tuition fees to be charged in the case of postgraduate study is solely a matter for each of the higher education institutions to determine in accordance with its own criteria as an autonomous body.
Under the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The Deputy will be aware that additional funding of €4 million was secured in Budget 2017 to facilitate the reinstatement of full maintenance grants, from September 2017, for the most disadvantaged postgraduate students. A further €3m was secured in Budget 2018.
Postgraduate students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme for the 2018/19 academic year are eligible for a maintenance grant of up to €5,915; the income threshold for this grant is €23,500. Qualifying postgraduate students may also be eligible to have their tuition fees paid up to a maximum fee limit of €6,270.
Alternatively a postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the cost of his/her fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500. The student grant scheme does not extend to postgraduate courses pursued outside of Ireland.
My Department also provides funding for the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The fund is available in various publicly funded higher education institutions. The SAF provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards their rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. The SAF is open to full-time registered students on courses of not less than one year's duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification.
Tax relief is available on postgraduate tuition fees paid and details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners.
It is important to recognise that in implementing the free fees scheme, and the student grant scheme, my Department needs to be conscious of the need for consistency in how individuals are treated and also of the potential financial and other policy implications arising from any specific amendments to either scheme.
