Thomas Byrne
Ceist:297. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the student assistant fund allocation in the 2018/2019 school year. [31277/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 11 July 2019
Ceisteanna (297)
Freagraí scríofa
The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards the rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials.
The core allocation in 2018/2019 was €8.1 million. An additional €1m was added to the Fund in 2017 which is specifically ring-fenced for part-time students who are lone-parents or members of the other access target groups. Prior to that the fund supported full-time students only.
In December 2018 specifically for the 2018/19 academic year, a further €1 million was added to the Fund for students attending Professional Masters of Education courses, who are experiencing financial difficulty.
The total 2018/2019 allocation for the SAF was €10.1 million.