Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

There is a slight difference in regard to mature students, which I will outline. The automatic eligibility of mature students to the higher non-adjacent rate of grant is to be removed from the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year. Mature students who reside 45 km or more from their higher education institution will continue to be eligible for the higher non-adjacent rate of grant. It is estimated that some 6,900 mature students will be impacted by this measure, with estimated savings of €4 million in 2011 and a full year saving of some €13 million. Other than that, the response is similar to that for Question No. 5.

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