Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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800. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if repeating first-year students are eligible for the fee reduction announced in budget 2023, in cases where a student has changed course after one year and is now a first-year student on a course; if he will set out the guidance for which students have been deemed eligible for the fee reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54106/22]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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811. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason that the reduction in the student contribution of €1,000 is not extended to students who have changed college course and are deemed to be repeating first year even though it is a different course; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulty that this is causing for a great number of families where a student has changed courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54439/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 800 and 811 together.

The fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety factors including the type of course and the student's access route including previous education.

For full time undergraduate students, 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.

A key principle of the free fees schemes is to support students in progressing through a chosen course of study from year to year. Typically students are not supported for a repeat period of study or for a different course at the same level under the free fees schemes. However, once an equivalent period of study has been completed on the new 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 free fees schemes 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.

As part of Budget 2023 the Government has approved a once off reduction of €1,000 in the student contribution payable by students eligible for free tuition fees under the Department free fees schemes in academic year 22/23.

In this regard the once off student contribution support of €1,000 cannot apply to students undertaking a repeat period of study that were not deemed eligible for the Free Fees schemes in 2022/23 by the institution attended.

I am conscious that not all students are eligible for free fees or student grants and so, as part of the cost-of-living measures, I have allocated a further €8 million of funding for the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for the current academic year.  This Fund provides financial support to students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending college and can provide assistance towards their rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. 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. Applications can be made under the SAF through the Access Office in a student’s third level institution.