Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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225. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the €1,000 fee contribution as announced in Budget 2025 will be given to a Monaghan student attending a college in County Derry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40377/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2024 contains a package of measures to support households with the cost-of-living. These cost-of-living measures include a €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee payable by higher education students that are eligible for the Free Fees Initiative (FFI).

Under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) the State provides funding, exclusive of the student contribution, toward the tuition fee costs of eligible undergraduate higher education students who are pursuing approved full-time undergraduate courses of study in an approved higher education institution in the State. The student contribution applies in circumstances where a student is eligible for free fees only, it is the student’s contribution towards their tuition fee within the terms of the FFI.

Courses provided outside of the State are not approved courses under the FFI and the student contribution arrangements do not apply. Therefore, it is not possible for students undertaking study outside of the State to benefit from the measure under reference.

Students studying outside the State, may however be eligible for support under the SUSI grant scheme. Students can assess their eligibility for support at: susi.ie