Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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508. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who have left undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 due to financial reasons; the measures she has in place to assist students with children keeping their places in university; the steps she will take to improve retention of students with children in undergraduate and postgraduate study; the financial assistance she will make available for such students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38154/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The information in relation to students who have left college due to financial reasons is not available in the format requested. The Deputy will be aware that affordability is just one of the factors that impact on students continued participation in higher education.

The student grant is the main source of financial assistance available for students in full-time higher education and can be paid to qualifying students in addition to the One Parent Family Payment. Where the student is in receipt of the one parent family payment (means tested), that payment is not taken into consideration when calculating reckonable income for a student grant. One parent family payment (means tested) is also an eligible payment for the higher special rate of maintenance grant, subject to the other qualifying conditions. In addition, students experiencing financial hardship can apply to their higher education institution for support from the Student Assistance Fund.

Many higher education institutions (including all of the universities) provide crèches or—in the case of some institutes of technology—childcare funds to subsidise students' childcare costs, thereby providing an additional element of support for students with children. All higher education institutions provide a range of student-support services to support students' successful participation in higher education, including online learning resources, and counselling, health and disability services.

Improving student-progression is a national strategic priority, which is being advanced through the on-going reform of the transition from secondary to higher education, led by my Department.