Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will respond to a query from a person (details supplied) in County Dublin. [12928/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Higher Education Grants Schemes operate under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Under the Higher Education Grants Scheme an approved course is defined as a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years duration or a full-time postgraduate course of not less than one year duration pursued in an approved institution.

An approved institution is defined to mean a university, college or other institution of higher education in so far as it provides a course or courses of not less than two years duration, being a course, or courses, which the Minister for Education and Science approves for the time being for the purposes of the Acts.

Each year, the Higher Education Grants Scheme specifies a list of approved institutions for the purposes of the Schemes. The approved institutions mainly comprise of public funded third level institutions.

I understand the course referred to by the Deputy is provided by a private college. There are no plans at present to extend the scope of the student support schemes to private colleges.