John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the grants which are available for specialised third level courses in the UK being undertaken by students leaving second level Irish schools who have a commitment to return to apply their skills. [7840/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under my Department's higher education grant schemes, maintenance grants are available to eligible students pursuing approved undergraduate courses in other EU member states, including the UK. In general, approved courses are those pursued in a third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds.

Students attending approved courses in other EU member states are subject to the same conditions of funding as students attending approved courses in the State. The main conditions of funding relate to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. Also tax relief on tuition fees is available in respect of approved courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level in other EU member states.

In recent years, the UK authorities introduced a number of changes in the financial support arrangements for students pursuing courses at further and higher education institutions. This included the introduction of an annual tuition fee for students entering further and higher education institutions for the first time from the 1998-99 academic year and the replacement of maintenance grants by student loans to be phased in from that year also. All EU students, including Irish students, are eligible for grant assistance towards the tuition fee, subject to the same conditions as apply to UK students.