Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 414: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science, further to Parliamentary Question No. 906 of 20 April 2010, the steps a person, who has not got refugee status but has been fostered here for the past three years, should take in order to obtain grant assistance to enable them to pursue a third level education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16878/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The eligibility requirements for student grants, including those relating to nationality, are set out annually in the relevant grant schemes drawn up by my Department. Under the terms of the Higher Education Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, means and previous academic attainment.

The nationality requirement, as set out in clause 4.5 of the 2009 scheme, states that candidates must: - be a national of an EU Member State, a state which is a contracting state to the EEA Agreement, the Swiss Confederation or - a refugee or other person entitled for the time being to the rights and privileges specified in section 3 of the Refugee Act 1996; or - be a person, pursuant to the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 518 of 2006) who the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has determined is eligible for the time being for subsidiary protection pursuant to Regulation 4 of those Regulations, or to whom the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has granted permission for the time being in writing to enter and reside in the State pursuant to Regulation 16 of those Regulations; or - have permission to remain in the State by virtue of marriage to a national of another EU Member State who is residing in the State and who is or has been employed, or self-employed, in the State, or be the child of such a person, not having EU nationality; or - have permission to remain in the State by virtue of marriage to an Irish national residing in the State, or be the child of such person, not having EU nationality; or - have been granted Humanitarian Leave to Remain in the State (prior to the Immigration Act 1999); or - be a person in respect of whom the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has granted permission to remain following a determination not to make a deportation order under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999.

Students should apply to their assessing authority to have their eligibility assessed. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant assessing authority, i.e. the applicant's local authority or VEC. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant local authority or VEC. Where the assessing authority decides to reject the appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department by submitting an appeal form outlining clearly the grounds for the appeal.