Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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230. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are supports offered to assist a person (details supplied) with the cost of an online masters degree which will be accredited by an Irish university; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17831/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The student grant scheme, administered by SUSI, provides maintenance grants to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Students who meet these conditions can apply to SUSI for financial support. 

In the context of limited public funding and competing priorities, student support funding is currently targeted at full-time students in approved institutions. The potential for reviewing options for existing access funding initiatives to part-time studies in higher education could only be considered in the context of the overall priorities and financial resources for access to higher education, and in the wider higher education funding context.

Further details on the criteria for student grant eligibility is available on www.susi.ie.

I regret to advise that my Department does not provide any supports to students in the circumstances that pertain to the student in question.