Written answers

Wednesday, 26 January 2005

Department of Education and Science

Higher Education Grants

9:00 pm

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1071: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of places reserved for disadvantaged students at UCD and TCD; and if she will make a statement on the low number of poor students attending third level institutions. [1047/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The special rates of maintenance grant for disadvantaged students, usually referred to as top-up grants, were introduced with effect from the 2000-01 academic year. The latest data indicates that more than 11,500 benefited in 2003-04. This is a significant achievement and means that we are well ahead of the target in the report of the action group on access to third level education which proposed that at least 9,000 students should qualify by 2006-07.

In order to qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant a candidate must meet a number of conditions, including the following: He or she must already qualify for one of my Department's ordinary maintenance grants; total reckonable income must not exceed the specified limit for the academic year in question; and on the operative date the income into the household must include one of the specified long-term social welfare payments.

To be eligible under the special rates of maintenance grants scheme for the 2004-05 academic year, the total reckonable income limit, which is based on the 2003 tax year, must not exceed €14,693 net of standard exclusions, as set out in the maintenance grants scheme 2004 and, where applicable, net of child dependant allowance. Figures provided by third level institutions on an entry scheme to six of the universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology from designated disadvantaged schools indicate that access programmes being funded by the Department of Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority are having a positive impact on higher education entry by students from those schools. Numbers of entrants to the seven institutions participating in this scheme have more than doubled from 300 in 2001 to 700 in the current academic year, 2004-05, with in the region of 117 of those entering UCD and 86 entering TCD. It should be noted that these figures do not include many other students from linked schools, further education colleges and communities entering both these and all other third level institutions through the CAO.

The HEA is undertaking a full national survey of participation in higher education. This survey will provide up to date information on the trends of participation by students from the various socio-economic groups and provide a backdrop to the review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing funding programmes for access which I have asked the national office to undertake.

The Deputy will be aware that on 6 December last the national office for equity of access to higher education of the HEA published an action plan 2005-07, the objective of which is to progress a number of important goals over the next three years towards ensuring the continued and increased participation of students from all under-represented groups, including those from disadvantaged areas. Priority areas for action identified by the plan include the development of a national framework of equity of access policies and initiatives towards the linking of all disadvantaged regions, schools and communities, with at least one higher education institution, in tandem with improved systems for the ongoing monitoring of progress in achieving equity of access to higher education. The plan was drawn up by the national office with the assistance of an advisory group and in consultation with a range of education and social partners.

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