Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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716. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider extending SUSI grant to part-time postgraduate students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67900/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Student Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses was introduced for the first time in September 2024 to provides fee support to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded undergraduate courses leading to a major award. This Scheme was developed with the aim of providing support for more flexible forms of learning to students who are considered underrepresented in Higher Education (lone parents, carers, people with a disability etc.). The Scheme was launched in August 2024.

Prior to this students pursuing part-time courses did not have access to fee support through SUSI grants. The introduction of this new initiative has opened the doors of higher education to many groups who are unable to participate in full-time programmes.

The Student Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses is currently limited to undergraduate courses. Section 8(3) of the Student Support Act 2011, which provides for the approval of part-time courses, only allows for undergraduate part-time courses to be approved. Any future extension to postgraduate courses would require a change to primary legislation and would need to be informed by the future development of this pilot scheme.

In addition to this, and in the context of limited public funding and competing priorities, student support funding is currently prioritised towards full-time students undertaking study on approved courses in publicly funded institutions and part-time fee supports for specified undergraduate courses.

As part of Budget 2026 I was delighted to be in a position to boost Postgraduate supports with an increase from €4,000 to €4,500 in the Postgraduate fee contribution backed by a €1million investment in Student Supports.

Student Grant Schemes are reviewed on an annual basis. Any expansion to a scheme would require consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The Deputy will appreciate that the funding allocation for student supports is determined in the context of the overall estimates and budgetary process undertaken by all Government Departments having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands.