Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Under my Department's Free Fees Initiative, the Exchequer provides funding towards tuition fees in respect of eligible students who are pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of study within the State. In order to qualify for funding under the Free Fees Initiative, students must be first-time undergraduates, hold inter alia, EU/EEA/Swiss nationality in their own right, and have been ordinarily resident in an EU/EEA/Swiss state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.

Eligible students may also receive supports via the statutory based Student Grant Scheme. To qualify for grant support, a grant applicant must meet various criteria relating to means, residency, nationality and progression.

Where students do not qualify for free fees funding, they must pay the appropriate fee - either EU or Non-EU, as determined by each higher education institution.  These institutions are autonomous bodies and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the free fees scheme is a matter for the relevant institution to determine.

Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners at www.revenue.ie