Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 702: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there are exceptions to the provision in the higher education grants scheme which require that a student under 23 years is assessed on their parents' income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11298/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Higher Education Grant Schemes operate under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. These Acts define a mature student to mean a person "of not less than 23 years of age, or such other age as may stand specified for the time being in regulations made by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, who have secured places in approved institutions and have reached that age on the 1st day of January, or such other date as may be prescribed from time to time by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance in the year of entry to such institutions". The Acts further provide, inter alia, for the making of grants to mature students whose means and those of their parents, where the mature students are dependent on their parents, do not exceed prescribed limits.

Mature students are categorised as either independent mature students or mature students dependent on parents. An independent mature student is defined to mean a mature student who was not ordinarily resident at home with his or her parents/guardians from the 1st October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are assessed without reference to either their parents/guardians income or address.

When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the Acts specify that the students' means and those of their parents/guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that the parents' income be taken into account, irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not an independent mature student.

In exceptional cases, and only where compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians can be provided, candidates who are under 23 may be assessed without reference to their parents/guardians income or address. An example of the type of independent verification/evidence required would be a letter from a social worker or other appropriate officer of the Health Service Executive explaining the circumstances under which the candidate is estranged from his/her parents/guardians. Confirmation that a candidate is living separately from parents/guardians is not sufficient in this regard.

Where candidates are estranged from parents/guardians, the necessary evidence in support of their case should be submitted to the relevant Local Authority or Vocational Education Committee.

In all other cases where a candidate is not at least 23 years of age on the 1st of January of the year of entry or re-entry to an approved course and in the absence of compelling evidence of estrangement from parents/guardians, details of parents/guardians' income is required for the purpose of the means test under the student grant schemes.

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 703: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the financial assistance a person can apply for who attends a third level course, in addition to the higher education grants scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11299/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions:

1. The Higher Education Grants Scheme;

2. The Vocational Education Committees' Scholarship Schemes;

3. The Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees.

Also under the terms of my Department's Free Fees Initiative the exchequer meets the tuition fees of full-time eligible students. The main conditions are that students must (a) be first-time undergraduates; (b) hold E.U. nationality: and (c) have been ordinarily resident in an E.U. Member State for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course. Students with official refugee status in State and who have three years residency in the State (from official date of lodgement of application for refugee status) may also be considered under the Free Fees Initiative. Eligibility is determined at date of entry to the course of study.

In addition to these schemes the National Development Plan 2007-2013 provides for a Third Level Access Fund. A key goal of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 is to widen participation and increase student and graduate numbers at third level. The Fund for Students with Disabilities, the Student Assistance Fund and the Millennium Partnership Fund, co-financed by the Government and the European Social Fund, form part of a strategy to achieve this goal. The three funding programmes are administered on behalf of my Department by the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education (National Access Office), with assistance from Pobal in relation to the Millennium Partnership Fund.

The Fund for Students with Disabilities aims to assist students with disabilities in third-level institutions and PLC colleges to participate in further and higher education. Grants are provided for students who have serious sensory, physical and/or communicative disabilities. Applications for funding should be made by the Disability/Access Officer in the Institution, or by the Principal in a PLC college. Students should discuss their particular disability, and equipment or services required, with their institution/PLC College.

In third level institutions there is a Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The objective of the SAF is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate manner who might otherwise, because of financial reasons, suffer severe hardship or be unable to continue their third level studies. Applications for funding should be made by the individual student to the Access Officer in their institution. The SAF is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.

The final initiative under the Third Level Access Fund is the Millennium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage. The objective of this Fund is to support students from disadvantaged areas with regard to retention and participation in further or higher education courses. Partnership Companies and Community Groups manage the fund locally. Under the fund, eligible actions may include the following but will be dependent on the individual Partnership or Community Group:

Financial supports to meet student participation costs;

Provision of information, e.g. guidance and mentoring;

Study supports including tuition, study skills.

Students may contact their local Area Partnership Company or Community Group for assistance (a list of the Partnerships and Community Groups is available from the Higher Education — Equity of Access Area of my Department). As outlined in the current NDP and Towards 2016, these three funds will remain important elements of the Government's overall strategy to alleviate educational disadvantage and to promote social inclusion.