Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the financial assistance schemes which are available from her Department to third level students who qualify for the higher education grant through their local authority but whose families are finding it impossible to meet the educational, accommodation and maintenance costs involved where a third level student is residing away from home and more particularly in Dublin where the costs are higher. [11426/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department funds three means tested maintenance grant scheme in respect of students attending approved courses in approved third level institutions and one maintenance grant scheme in respect of students attending approved post-leaving certificate courses in approved PLC centres.

Apart from the funding provided through the student support maintenance grant schemes, financial assistance is also available from my Department through the student assistance fund which is administered by the national office for equity of access to third level education, also known as the national office. The objective of the fund, which is ESF aided, is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate manner who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. Further information on this fund is available from the relevant third institutions.

The millennium partnership fund for disadvantage, which is also administered by the national office, was announced in September 2000. Pobal, formerly Area Development Management, manages the fund on behalf on my Department and the national office. The objective of the fund is to support students from disadvantaged areas with regard to retention and participation in further and higher education courses. Students may contact their local area partnership company or community group for assistance. Decisions on eligibility for the millennium partnership fund are a matter for the relevant partnership or community group.