In order to qualify for funding under the Department's Free Fees Initiative students must meet the criteria of the scheme including the separate residency and nationality/citizenship requirements in their own right.
In order to meet the residency criteria a student must have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. All students are required to meet the residency criteria of the scheme.
The three out of five year rule takes cognisance of students who wish to take time out to travel or work abroad. Such students can still meet the residency requirement if they have not been outside the countries referenced above for more than two of the previous five years.
There are no plans to extend beyond the current eligibility criteria at this time.
Where students do not qualify for free fees funding they must pay the appropriate fee - either EU or Non-EU, as determined by each higher education institution. These institutions are autonomous bodies and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the free fees scheme is a matter for the relevant institution to determine.
My Department responded previously to concerns about the impact of the Free Fees Initiative eligibility criteria on Irish nationals who had, for occupational or economic reasons, to move abroad, requiring them to take their children out of the Irish education system in the process.
To this end, the department advised that, with effect from the academic year 2014/15 onwards, higher education institutions should charge the more moderate rate of EU fee for students that commence their first undergraduate course of study in an approved institution here and:
- Hold EU/EEA/Swiss/UK nationality but do not meet the residency clause of the Free Fees Initiative; and
- have completed five academic years of study (at either primary or post-primary level) in an EU/EEA/Swiss/UK State.
For students experiencing difficulties currently, there is a significant allocation to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The SAF assists students in a sensitive and compassionate manner who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis and I would encourage students to contact their access office to avail of these funds.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further details are available from the Revenue Commissioners.
