Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 388: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if a student starting a postgraduate course, that is higher diploma, postgraduate diploma, master's degree or PhD in 2010 to 2011, will be able to retain the back to education allowance and vocational education committee grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17772/10]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 389: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if a student completes level seven undergraduate course in 2009-2010 and wants to carry on to a level eight undergraduate course, will retain both the back to education allowance and grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17773/10]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 390: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will clarify the situation facing mature students who, when they started their course, were promised that they would be able to complete the three years to gain a degree, and not a certificate, in view of the fact that these students have now been told that they will be treated as new students after two years and are not eligible for back to education allowance or a vocational education committee grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17776/10]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 391: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if mature students, who are already in the system, in receipt of a vocational education committee grant who is currently doing their degree can continue in the system on full grants until their degree is completed in view of the changes in the application of the rules of the grant programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17778/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 388 to 391, inclusive, together.

The Deputy will be aware that the current difficult economic circumstances have necessitated tough choices to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In these circumstances, from September 2010, as announced in the Budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses, will be ineligible for student maintenance grants. The cost of the student services charge and any fees payable to colleges will continue to be met for eligible students by the Exchequer on their behalf. It was decided to discontinue the practice of allowing students to hold both the BTEA or VTOS allowance and a student maintenance grant simultaneously as this represents a duplication of income support payments.

Students currently in receipt of the BTEA or VTOS allowances and the maintenance grant will continue to be eligible for both payments for the duration of their current course provided they continue to meet the terms and conditions of the relevant grant schemes. Students progressing to a new course with effect from 2010/11 will no longer be eligible for student maintenance grants but can apply for assistance towards the cost of the student services charge and any fees payable.

Although BTEA students progressing to a new course or new applicants who are in receipt of the BTEA will no longer be able to hold the maintenance portion of the student grant in addition to the BTEA, they may still submit a student grant application to establish entitlement to payment of the student service charge or tuition fees.

Students who qualify for maintenance grants will continue to receive substantial grant funding, together with full support for payment of the student service charge. Those on particularly low incomes will also continue to receive a "top-up" in the special rate of maintenance grant.

Under the student grant schemes a mature candidate, if approved, is automatically provided with the higher non-adjacent rate of maintenance which, this year, ranges from €810 to €6,355 depending on individual circumstances. The entitlement to the non-adjacent rate applies regardless of how far the college is from the mature candidates residence and whether or not the candidate is dependent on or independent of his/her parent(s) or guardian(s).

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.

The NDP funded Third Level Access Measure is also supporting the participation of mature students in higher education, in particular those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The Student Assistance Fund is available in all recurrently funded higher education institutions. The objective of the fund is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. Mature students who have additional needs arising due to a disability or learning difficulty can make an application to the Fund for Students with Disabilities. Applications for support can be made via the access or disability service in the institution. The access offices themselves will also continue to provide support and advice to mature students to enable them to continue with their studies.