Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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416. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of adjusting the progression criteria for the free fees initiative to allows for overlap of levels where the graduation level will amount to a progression; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31524/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Details on the number of students not currently eligible under the criteria of the Department's Free Fees Initiative due to previous attendance on an undergraduate course are not readily available. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of potential costs as sought.

It is important to note that under the Department's Free Fees Initiative (FFI), the Exchequer pays tuition fees on behalf of eligible first time undergraduate students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. In order to qualify for funding under the Department’s Free Fees Initiative, students must meet the criteria of the scheme including previous education attendance, progression and attainment.

Under the terms of the scheme tuition fees will not be paid in respect of students who already hold a postgraduate qualification or students pursuing a second undergraduate course of study.

A key principle of the scheme is to support students in progressing through a chosen course of study from year to year. To satisfy the terms and conditions of the FFI in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course having successfully completed the previous year or, having successfully completed a course, is progressing to another related course where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.

The progression criteria was included in the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) to allow for progression to a higher level undergraduate award via an "add-on" years route. This route accommodates students who previously completed a level 6 or 7 course, where the ultimate course award was at level 6 or 7 respectively, to progress to a higher level undergraduate award on a course related to their existing level 6 or 7 qualification (including exceptional circumstances where a student may not necessarily receive an exemption from the normal duration of the course).

Typically students are not supported for a repeat period of study or for a different course at the same level under the FFI (in exceptional circumstances such as ill health an exception may be allowed). The objective of this policy is to help as many students as possible to obtain an undergraduate qualification. However, once an equivalent period of study has been completed on a new higher level course, the student may be eligible for free fees funding for the remainder of the course. An individual student's eligibility for the scheme, is assessed by the institution in accordance with the terms of the scheme.

Where undergraduate students do not meet the qualifying criteria of the FFI they are required to pay tuition fees in full to their higher education institution. It is a matter for the higher education institution as an autonomous body to determine the applicable fee rate for students.

Full details of the free fees criteria are available at the following location: www.hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/funding/student-finance/course-fees/.