Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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2515. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 835 of 1 April 2025, if his Department will take into consideration the workload of part-time courses when finalising the 2025 part-time fee scheme for specified undergraduate courses; if a specific course (details supplied) will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19380/25]

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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2516. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will consider the workload and commitment levels of a part-time course (details supplied) when deciding the courses that will appear on the 2025 part-time fee scheme for specified undergraduate courses that qualify for SUSI funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19428/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2515 and 2516 together.

My Department is committed to expanding access to higher education through the establishment of diverse and flexible pathways for our increasingly diverse student population. The expansion of supports for part-time provision is a priority for my Department, as it provides another pathway for students who are unable to access higher education through traditional full-time courses.

The Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses was first introduced in 2024 to provide fee support to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded courses with the aim of providing additional flexibility in respect of course provision to students who are socio-economically disadvantaged.

To be eligible for this scheme the course must lead to an undergraduate major award on the National Framework of Qualifications – i.e. a Higher Certificate, Ordinary Bachelor Degree or Honours Bachelor Degree. The course must also be a minimum average of 30 ECTS and a maximum of 50 ECTS to be considered part-time. Courses should also be either fully in-person or hybrid (part in-person, part online), with hybrid programmes having an element of meaningful attendance beyond for the purposes of registration, enrolment, or examination.

As the course the Deputy refers to has a credit load of 60 ECTS per year, it is not eligible for inclusion in the part-time scheme.

The 2025 Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses is now open and the list of the approved courses for 2025 is on the SUSI website: www.susi.ie/eligibility-criteria/approved-courses/undergraduate-students-approved-institutions---part-time-courses/.