Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a fee reduction can be made available to part-time students given the announcement of a €1,000 fee reduction for undergraduate students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50394/22]

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 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.

Students attending part time courses are not eligible for the free fees schemes and therefore the once off student contribution support of €1,000 in 22/23 cannot apply to students undertaking part time study.

Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial difficulty can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. As part of the cost-of-living measures announced in Budget 2023 an additional €8 million has been invested in the Student Assistance Fund for the current academic year 2022/23. This Fund assists students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. It is open to both full and part-time registered students on courses of not less than one year's duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis. More information on the SAF is available at www.studentfinance.ie.

Tax relief on tuition fees may be available for students attending courses in private colleges and or attending part-time courses. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners.

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 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.

Under my Department’s Free Fees schemes the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student contribution. Undergraduate students eligible for SUSI supports have this contribution paid, in part of in full, on their behalf under my Departments Student Grant Scheme.

The once off €1,000 support relates specifically to the student contribution payable by student’s eligible for free tuition fees under the Department free fees schemes in academic year 22/23. It will reduce the student contribution payable by free fees eligible students from €3,000 to €2,000 in 22/23. This additional level of support towards free tuition fees will benefit c.94,000 additional students.

The reduction will be administered with the assistance of the Higher Education Institutions a student is attending. It is anticipated that students paying the student contribution in instalments will have the amount reduced from their next instalment by the HEI. Students who paid their 2022/23 student contribution in full will receive a refund from the HEI attended and institutions will communicate with students directly on how the refund process will operate.

Officials from my Department are working with the HEA and the sector to finalise the details of this allocation and an instruction on how to operate the scheme is expected to issue this week with a view to refunds issuing as soon as practicable by each institution.

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 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.

Under my Department’s Free Fees schemes the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students with students paying the student contribution. Undergraduate students eligible for SUSI supports have this contribution paid, in part of in full, on their behalf under my Departments Student Grant Scheme.

The once off €1,000 support relates specifically to the student contribution payable by student’s eligible for free tuition fees under the Department free fees schemes in academic year 22/23. It will reduce the student contribution payable by free fees eligible students from €3,000 to €2,000 in 22/23. This additional level of support towards free tuition fees will benefit c.94,000 additional students.

The reduction will be administered with the assistance of the Higher Education Institutions a student is attending. It is anticipated that students paying the student contribution in instalments will have the amount reduced from their next instalment by the HEI. Students who paid their 2022/23 student contribution in full will receive a refund from the HEI attended. Officials are working with the HEA and the sector to finalise the details of this allocation and HEIs will communicate with students directly on how the refund process will operate.