Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Access Plan has called for more flexible forms of learning for target groups and those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. One of the priorities for Budget 2024 is reducing child poverty. We know that Education has the power to transform lives, lift people out of poverty and break down cycles of intergenerational poverty.

I have been consistent in my position that we need to develop our student support system over time to ensure that it supports more flexible forms of learning.

Through sectoral engagements, there is an increased recognition that supporting part-time and blended learning has the potential to increase access to learning in the medium term, once existing reform commitments are embedded within the sector.

The fees associated with part-time programmes are a key barrier to higher education access and the expansion of fee support to part-time students has the potential to transform how education is accessed by those most in need.

As part of the tertiary package for Budget 2024, I secured €2 million of support for the part-time provision.

From September 2024, a pilot part-time fee grant will be available to provide support for students who are undertaking eligible undergraduate part-time programmes leading to a major award, both in-person, blended and online. These students would previously have been ineligible for a student grant.

The Scheme will be means tested and available to those with reckonable income under €55,924 and will be subject to satisfying certain criteria. This will benefit vulnerable cohorts and low-income families.

The Scheme is currently under development. My Department is currently engaging in further discussions with key stakeholders and Higher Education Institutions and communication will be provided in the next few months on the new Scheme and how to apply when the parameters have been agreed.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Improvements to the student grant scheme has been a key priority since becoming Minister, and I have already made a number of significant improvements to the Student Grant Scheme over past Budgets benefiting thousands of students.

I have already started the process of increasing certain thresholds. From September 2024:-

• The Band 4 maintenance grantthreshold will increase from the current threshold of €46,790 to €50,840so more students will be eligible for a maintenance grant.
• The 100% StudentContribution threshold is increasing by 10% from €50,840 to €55,924.

Reducing the cost of education will continue to be a priority for me in 2024. As per the last number of years I will be publishing an options paper on reducing the cost of education which will examine the issue of increasing thresholds.