Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
704. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on the current situation whereby persons studying four year degree courses online are not able to access SUSI grants as the courses are deemed part time; if he plans to change this regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53147/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
Approved courses for the Student Grant Scheme 2021 are prescribed in the Student Support Regulations 2021 and in the Student Support Act 2011. To be eligible for grant assistance, students must be attending an approved full-time course at an approved institution. The Regulations prescribe that an approved course is a full-time course leading to a major higher education and training award which takes a minimum of two years to complete in an approved institution.
Courses that are part-time or that are less than two years in duration or leading to a special purpose/minor award rather than a major award are not approved for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme. Distance Learning/ Online Courses are regarded as part-time courses and, as such, do not qualify for grant assistance under the Student Grant Scheme.
In the context of limited public funding and competing priorities, student support funding is currently targeted at full-time students in approved institutions. The potential for reviewing options for existing access funding initiatives to part-time studies in higher education could only be considered in the context of the overall priorities and financial resources for access to higher education, and in the wider higher education funding context.
The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. The review is at an advanced stage, and is in the process of finalisation by the consultations and the steering group. There was significant public interest in the Review, with around 280 submissions and over 9,000 survey responses from students. The final Report will be presented to me later this year and I intend bringing it to Government for approval. It is the intention that this review will inform policy priorities and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.
