Written answers

Thursday, 5 April 2007

Department of Education and Science

Student Support Schemes

5:00 pm

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there is assistance available to students wishing to study abroad as part of their undergraduate course, if they have been awarded a scholarship by an overseas university; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13814/07]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of my Department's Higher Education Grants Scheme and the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending approved third level courses in approved institutions. An approved course for the purpose of the schemes means a full-time undergraduate course of not less than two years duration and a full time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution.

My Department's Third Level Student Maintenance Grant Schemes were extended to provide maintenance grants to eligible students pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of at least two years duration (pursued in a university or a third level institution which is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds) in other EU Member States with effect from the 1996/97 academic year.

By reference to clause 2.2 of the Higher Education Grants Scheme and clause 2.1 of the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Scheme, a candidate is not eligible to hold a grant if s/he holds:

(i) a scholarship/grant awarded by another Local Authority, a Vocational Educational Committee or the Department of Education, or

(ii) any other award payable from public funds, or

(iii) the equivalent of (i) or (ii) from another E.U. Member State.

The provisions at (ii) or (iii) do not include awards such as scholarships, prizes or bursaries, made by the institution being attended or postgraduate research grants where the grant received does not exceed a specified amount, which for the 2006/07 academic year, is specified to be €12,700. In addition the provision at (ii) does not include awards to candidates under the Student Assistant Fund, the Millennium Partnership Fund and the Fund for Students with Disabilities.

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