Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 694: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person who has a primary degree from University College Galway, and who for the past ten years, has been involved in teaching English, at a English school in Tokyo and who now wishes to return home, to undertake a postgraduate degree can do so; if there is financial aid available to them to embark upon such a degree course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5363/10]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The principal financial support available to students in higher education is the student maintenance grant. Students who are entering approved courses are eligible for financial assistance where they satisfy the relevant conditions including those relating to residency, means, age, nationality and previous academic attainment.

When I announced details of the student maintenance grant schemes for the 2009/2010 academic year I also gave notice that, with effect from the start of the 2010/11 academic year, further changes would be introduced including a change to the residency requirement in the State for grant eligibility which will be increased from one year to three out of the past five years for the student - a move that is in line with provisions already outlined in the Student Support Bill.

In addition the full criteria for the 2010 maintenance grant schemes is currently being reviewed. Decisions on the 2010 schemes will be announced as soon as the process has been completed.

The decision on eligibility for student grants for the 2010/2011 academic year will be a matter for the relevant assessing authority - i.e. the local authority or VEC. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular clause in the relevant scheme is required.

If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a maintenance grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to the relevant local authority or VEC.

Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by the assessing authority, and remains of the view that the body has not interpreted the schemes correctly in her/his case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to my Department.

Detailed information on financial supports for students can be found on the website www.studentfinance.ie.