Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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553. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if students from the North will be eligible for the €1,000 fee reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49522/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under my Department’s Free Fees schemes the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible Irish/EU/EEA/Swiss and UK undergraduate higher education students who are pursuing an approved course of study at an approved higher education institution. All students eligible for the free fees schemes receive state support whereby the State pays the cost of tuition fees exclusive of the student contribution (currently €3,000 per annum).

As part of Budget 2023 I have secured a significant cost of living package for third level students including a once-off €1,000 State financial support towards the undergraduate student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for my Department’s free fees schemes. The reduction will only apply where students are attending approved undergraduate free fees courses and where the student is eligible for free fees.

In terms of students attending courses in Northern Ireland, courses provided in Northern Ireland are not approved courses under the Free Fees schemes and therefore the once off student contribution support of €1,000 in 22/23 cannot apply to students undertaking study in Northern Ireland.

The main support available to assist students with the cost of higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance to students pursuing an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Students attending courses in Northern Ireland can determine their eligibility for available supports at susi.ie/eligibility/income/.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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554. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if post-graduate students on special rate SUSI will be eligible for the €1,000 fee reduction in fees if their fees exceed the €6,270 fee limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49523/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I was pleased to announce as part of Cost of Living measures in Budget 2023 a once off increase in the Post Graduate fee grant by €1,000 from €3,500 to €4,500. Postgraduate students who meet the eligibility criteria for a Postgraduate Fee Contribution will benefit from this measure. Postgraduate students who receive the Special Rate of grant will not receive this as they have their tuition fee contribution paid up to €6,270. Those students already receive the maximum support available to postgraduates and the €1,000 once-off increase is targeted at students who receive a lower level of support.

Postgraduate students on the Special Rate of Maintenance Grant will receive a once-off extra maintenance payment equivalent to one month’s maintenance, to be made by this December. The special rate of grant will also increase effective from January 2023.

I also announced a further investment of €8 million in the Student Assistance Fund for the current academic year. This will help many students who continue to struggle financially.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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555. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if students undertaking a further education and training course (details supplied) at NFQ level 8 will benefit from the €1,000 fee reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49525/22]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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My officials are making enquiries in relation to this matter and a response will issue to the Deputy once these enquiries are complete.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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556. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to extend the reduction of €1,000 in the student contribution announced in budget 2023 to all postgraduate students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49604/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As part of Budget 2023 I have secured a significant cost of living package for third level students.

As part of the cost of living measures in Budget 2023, postgraduate Students who meet the eligibility criteria for a Postgraduate Fee Contribution Grant will receive a once-off increase of €1,000 in the grant, which is increasing from €3,500 to €4,500 and is due to be paid by the end of 2022. This measure excludes postgraduate students who receive the Special Rate of grant as they have their tuition fee contribution paid up to €6,270. For these postgraduate students, they will receive the once-off extra maintenance payment for all student maintenance grant recipients, also to be paid by the end of 2022. Full time PhD student funded through an award by IRC or SFI will receive a once off increase in their stipend of €500.

Students can determine their eligibility for the Grant at susi.ie/eligibility/income/. This provides grant assistance to students pursuing an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

For postgraduate students experiencing difficulties currently, there is a significant allocation to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The SAF assists students in a sensitive and compassionate manner who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis and I would encourage students to contact their access office to avail of these funds.

Overall, the cost of living package, to take effect before the end of 2022, will include:

- A once-off €1,000 state financial support towards the undergraduate student contribution fee for higher education students eligible for the free fees initiative;

- A once-off reduction of up to 33% in the contribution fee for apprentices;

- A once-off extra payment for all student maintenance grant recipients;

- A once-off increase of €1,000 in the support to SUSI qualified Post Graduate students, increasing from €3,500 to €4,500; and

- A further €8 million investment in the Student Assistance Fund for the 2022/23 academic year.

The state financial support of €1,000 in the student contribution relates to my Department’s Free Fees schemes where the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible Irish and EU undergraduate higher education students who are pursuing an approved course of study at an approved higher education institution. All students eligible for the free fees schemes receive state support whereby the State pays the cost of tuition fees exclusive of the student contribution (currently €3,000 per annum).

Students attending postgraduate courses are not eligible for the free fees schemes and pay tuition fees as determined by the institution attended. Therefore the once off student contribution reduction of €1,000 in 22/23 cannot apply to students undertaking a course of postgraduate study. Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions and therefore it is a matter for individual institutions to determine the rate of tuition fees for postgraduate academic programmes.