Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the 2012 applications will be made available for the postgraduate grant; the criteria to qualify for the postgraduate grant; if there are any proposed changes being made to the criteria or grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7135/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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As a matter of routine, my Department reviews the student grant scheme each year to prepare policy proposals and to include changes announced under the relevant Budget. A decision on the reckonable income limits under the Student Grant Scheme for 2012/13 academic year will be taken in the context of this review and the Scheme will be published in due course.

Nevertheless, in the context of the necessary but difficult expenditure reduction measures announced in Budget 2012, new students entering postgraduate courses from the 2012/13 academic year onwards will not be entitled to any maintenance payment under the Student Grant Scheme. Existing postgraduate students will not be affected.

My priority as Minister for Education and Skills is to preserve access to undergraduate higher education courses despite the difficult circumstances in our public finances. As a result, no changes were made to the eligibility criteria for undergraduate students in the recent Budget. It is also worth emphasising that 41% of all undergraduate students currently receive a grant and pay no student contributions.

However, those students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant will be eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit under the Student Grant Scheme.

In access terms, the requirement to pay a fee is considered to be a greater obstacle to entry than lack of maintenance support at postgraduate level. This is why I opted to maintain the fee-payment ahead of maintenance payments for postgraduate students.

In addition, a further limited number of students who would previously have qualified under the standard grant thresholds will qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the costs of their fees. My Department estimates this will help an additional 4,000 postgraduate students. However, there will be a new income threshold for this payment which will be lower than the standard grant threshold. In addition to the student grant scheme, support will continue to be available under the Student Assistance Fund through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need. Students may also be eligible for tax relief for their tuition fees. Details in relation to this are available on www.revenue.ie.

While it is regrettable that any changes need to be made to student support, I believe this approach will continue to provide resources for a relatively wide number of post-graduate students and allow us to maintain the high level of supports provided to undergraduate students.