Written answers
Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Department of Education and Skills
Student Grant Scheme Eligibility
Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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263. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has given consideration to include a third level education college (details supplied) to qualify for SUSI education grants; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the many students who do not reach a minimum number of points in their leaving certificate examination must then source third level education through private colleges in which their families find it very difficult to meet the costs involved. [39751/17]
Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Under my Department's student grant scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution, as defined in the scheme. The definition of an approved institution is set out in Section 7 of the Student Support Act 2011 and Regulation 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2017.
The college to which the Deputy refers, is not an approved institution, for student grant purposes. However, it is open to higher education institutions that operate on a 'for profit' basis, to use their own resources to provide financial supports to any of their students that they consider to be in particular need.
Decisions in relation to the future funding of student supports will be informed by the consideration of the options contained in the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education. As committed to in the Programme for Government, the report has been referred to the Education Committee as part of the process for building political consensus on the most sustainable approach for funding the higher education sector in the future.
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