Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider putting arrangements in place through the Higher Education Authority to enable third level students to pay students' contributions in instalments in view of the fact that the lump sum payments are causing severe financial difficulties for many families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31455/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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A new student contribution of €2,000 was introduced in higher education institutions by the previous Government with effect from the 2011/12 academic year. The student contribution replaces the Student Services Charge and applies to all students who benefit under the free fees scheme. In recognition of the financial pressures that the student contribution may place on families, my Department requested higher education institutions to consider putting in place arrangements under which a student may opt to pay the student contribution in two instalments in a given academic year. I have again asked the Higher Education Authority to request institutions to allow the payment of the contribution in two moieties. While a few institutions do not have this facility at present due to technical/systems limitations and administrative issues that make it impractical to allow for payment by instalments, all institutions have been requested to accommodate students who present with financial difficulties on a case by case basis and, from the academic year 2012/13 onwards, to have systems in place that allow for the payment of the student contribution in two instalments.