Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
1137. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number and percentage of college dropouts since 2011 at third-level; the number and percentage of those in receipt of Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, support in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14933/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HEA publishes figures annually on the non-progression rate among students - i.e. the proportion of new entrants enrolled in first year who do not progress to second year. Non-progression data from 2010 up to the most recent year available (2016) is available in the attached table. The year given refers to the year in which the student entered third level so, for example, the 2016 figures refers to students who entered first year in September 2016 but did not progress to second year in September 2017.
This data is not available broken down by those in receipt of SUSI support. Further details on the analysis of non-progression undertaken by the HEA can be found in the reports available on the HEA website: https://hea.ie/resources/publications/
In 2019 the HEA published an analysis of completion rates for students who started higher education in the 2007/2008 academic year. The completion rates were based on graduations up to the class of 2016, meaning that the analysis could successfully capture completions among students who had repeated years or taken time out of higher education prior to completion. The baseline data was taken in March 2008.
The report found that 76% of full-time undergraduate new entrants in 2007 covered by the study, completed their studies in the institute they started in. 74% completed the course they initially enrolled in, while 2% completed a different course.
The completion analysis also looks at completion rates among grant recipients, although the report notes that coverage of grant status is sparse in places and that caution should be exercised when drawing conclusions from those analyses. The rate of completion for grant recipients was 72%, compared with 78% among non-grant recipients. Further details on this can be seen in the completion report which can be read on the HEA website at the following link: https://hea.ie/assets/uploads/2019/02/HEA-Analysis-of-Completion-in-Irish-Higher-Education-Report-Release.pdf
