Written answers

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Department of Education and Skills

Third Level Fees

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the increases in third level registration fees, the plans he has to safe guard university access programmes for those socioeconomic groups who have traditionally been excluded from such institutions. [2614/13]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Students qualifying for a student grant have their student contribution paid by the Exchequer. For families of less than four dependent children, the threshold for the payment of the student contribution is €51,380. A further income threshold of €55,920 exists for a grant of 50% towards the student contribution. This ensures that students from lower socioeconomic groups are not adversely impacted by the increases in the student contribution. The higher education access programmes continue to be supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) with funding from my Department as part of the implementation of the current National Access Plan (2008-2013). Some €29 million was allocated to 27 higher education institutions in 2012 as the access premium in their core funding and the HEA has advised my Department that the same magnitude of funding will be allocated for access in 2013. Work has commenced by the HEA on the development of a new national access plan for 2014 onwards. This will include new targets to increase participation by under-represented groups. Further dialogue between the HEA and institutions on access funding and programmes will also take place as part of the implementation of the National Strategy for Higher Education.

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