Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1062. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost in 2021 if the student contribution charge was reduced by €100, €200, €500, €1,000 and €3,000, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31440/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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While the student contribution now stands at €3,000, it is important to recognise that there has been no increase in the student contribution charge since 2014/15 and that currently in excess of 60,000 students have all or part of the student contribution paid on their behalf by the State via the Student Grant Scheme.

Please see table attached setting out the estimated net cost to the Exchequer if the student contribution charge was reduced by €100, €200, €500, €1,000 and €3,000, respectively in the academic year 2021/2022.

These calculations are based on the number of students that qualified for free fees funding in the academic year 2019/20, take into account overall projected increase in student numbers and factor in the resulting estimated reduction to my department's Student Grant Scheme budget.

The current student contribution charge is €3,000 per academic year.

The table below sets out the estimated net cost to the Exchequer if the student contribution charge was reduced by €100, €200, €500, €1,000 and €3,000, respectively in the academic year 2021/2022.

The student contribution was introduced in higher education institutions with effect from the 2011/12 academic year and replaced the Student Services Charge.