Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the case of a student (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56770/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under my Department's Free Fees Initiative, the State pays tuition fees, exclusive of the student contribution, on behalf of eligible students attending approved full-time undergraduate courses. Details of the eligibility criteria are available at the following location:

It is the institution attended that will determine, within the terms of the scheme, a student's eligibility for free fees funding and it is not possible for my Department to advise on the determinations made by individual institutions.

Where a student requires guidance on the determination of eligibility for free fees it is necessary that a student engage with the fees office of the institution attended. Direct engagement will offer students an opportunity to understand the determination of the institution and provide a basis for the student to provide additional information to the institution as appropriate to assist the institution in considering a student's eligibility.

Where students do not qualify for free fees funding they must pay the appropriate fee - either EU or Non-EU - to the institutions attended. These institutions are autonomous bodies and the level of fee payable by students who do not meet the requirements of the free fees scheme is a matter for the relevant institution to determine.