Ninth Level Ireland

“Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the recommendations of the all-party committee will be implemented to allow all full time low-income QQI degree students receive their SUSI entitlement and to allow them access to the HEA student hardship fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 26 October]

“Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase funding for and make changes to the SUSI grant to deliver increases in grants for students in view of the rise in the costs of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 25 October]

Recommendations: ‘… The Committee further recommends that, subject to the course and college being QQI approved, eligibility for a maintenance grant should be based on the means of the student rather than on the choice of college. This approach could result in an increase in competition among colleges and may reduce costs. The Committee further recommends that students enrolled at private colleges should, if eligible under the relevant SUSI criteria, be entitled to the same value of SUSI funding for payment of annual degree course fees that they would receive at an equivalent course in a state funded higher education institution. The Committee further recommends that students enrolled in private colleges should be entitled to access the Student Assistance Fund.’

“15 asylum seekers sought a grant to attend third-level education in 2016, and two were successful. The number of those who applied also dropped from 39 in 2015 to 15 in 2016. The grant scheme is operated by the Department of Education to offer financial aid to school leavers who are in the protection scheme or have come through it …” (more)

[Niamh Keating, Trinity News, 15 September]

“College grant applications have seen a drop in compared to recent years, a total of 87,738 claims were made for support for fees and living expenses, which was 0.3% less than last year’s figure. An increase in Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) applications was to be expected …” (more)

[Cian Mac Lochlainn, Trinity News, 5 August]

“The new minister for higher education has been warned of an ‘unprecedented demand’ for affordable student accommodation. Mary Mitchell O’Connor has been told of the ‘significant challenges’ in addressing the issue, as parents and students face into the scramble to find accommodation for the academic year ahead …” (more)

[Cormac McQuinn, Independent, 25 July]

“Rising employment and income levels have seen grant applications drop, despite funding being available again for postgraduate students this year. At the close of applications this week, the total number of claims for support with fees and living costs was 87,738 which was 0.3%, or 264, less than the same time last year …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 15 July]

“Postgraduate students can now apply for a student grant under new changes to the application system. Students can now apply for the scheme which is open for the 2017-2018 academic year. Mature students, who previously dropped out, will now also get a second chance within a five year time frame …” (more)

[Kenneth Fox, Newstalk, 3 April]

“The SUSI college grant application scheme reopens on Monday, with added demand expected this year due to the availability of maintenance grants for postgraduate students. The grant, worth almost €6,000, will be made available to students in the lowest income category …” (more)

[Aine McMahon, Irish Times, 3 April]

“Fiona O’Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the similar third level courses (details supplied) in different universities that are not both eligible for SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 23 March]

“Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there have been a number of write-offs with regard to recouping paid funds in each of the years since SUSI was formed in relation to discovered overpayment of maintenance grants by SUSI; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 9 February]

“Up to three-quarters of students in some of the State’s colleges are reliant on grant support, according to new figures that highlight the scale of the class divide in Irish higher education. School-leavers from more affluent backgrounds are much more likely to have places in universities offering high-points degrees …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 7 February]

“For students whose family income falls below a certain limit, the State helps them attend further and higher education through financial supports. But the distribution of these financial supports among institutions is very revealing …” (more)

[Brian Mooney, Irish Times, 7 February]

“Student grant body Susi has awarded third-level and maintenance funding to 76,000 students so far this academic year, an increase of 14,000 on the same period last year …” (more)

[Éanna Ó Caollaí, Irish Times, 27 October]

“More than 200 third-level students who meet the criteria for a grant are losing out – because they are studying in private colleges. The students are on CAO courses in institutions such as Griffith College and DBS, Dublin, where typical fees are about €5,000 …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 14 October]

“Meeting of the Committee on Education and Skills, Thursday 13 October 2016, Webcast Recording. CR1, LH 2000, 9.00 a.m. Non-payment of maintenance grants to students attending private higher education colleges [Representatives from Wake Up SUSI] and Engagement with Mr Michael Horgan, Chairperson Designate, Higher Education Authority (HEA)” (video).

[Houses of the Oireachtas, 13 October]

“Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will make the Student Universal Support Ireland grant scheme, the disability access route to education scheme and the HEA student assistance fund scheme available to students of private third level colleges such as Griffith College in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 11 October]

“The Joint Committee on Education and Skills will convene tomorrow to consider a number of important issues. The Committee will consider motions in the names of Deputies Thomas Byrne and Catherine Martin, and amended motions in the name of Deputy Jim Daly, regarding the 10% loss of marks in the Junior Certificate English Examination for students in ASTI staffed school …” (more)

[Houses of the Oireachtas, 12 October]

“Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if asylum seekers who arrived here as children and have completed their second-level education and leaving certificate will be permitted to attend third-level educational institutions; and to set out the financial supports they may be eligible to apply for …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 27 September]

“A record 30,000 third-level students were due to receive their first grant payments from Student Universal Support Ireland (Susi) yesterday. The payments totalling €9.6m will be of particular help to those who have had to pay rent deposits and other up-front costs at the beginning of term …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 24 September]