Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options for funding or grants in respect of a person (details supplied) in County clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37016/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The decision on eligibility for new student grant applications is a matter for the central grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). The Deputy will appreciate that in the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application in relation to means, residency, nationality and previous academic attainment, it would not be possible to say whether or not a student would qualify for a grant. The student is advised to submit a fully completed online grant application to SUSI via studentfinance.ie to have her eligibility for grant assistance assessed. Further information on the student grant is available on the studentfinance.ie website.

Tax relief is also available on tuition fees. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners. Students entering postgraduates courses 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 of €6,270 under the Student Grant Scheme. A further limited number of students will qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the costs of their fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500 for the 2012/13 academic year, increasing relative to the number of family dependents.

Following the changes introduced in Budget 2012 new students entering postgraduate courses, from the 2012/13 academic year onwards, will not be entitled to maintenance payments under the Student Grant Scheme. Postgraduate students continuing on their existing courses will not be affected. The Student Assistance Fund will continue to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need.