Ninth Level Ireland

“When colleges closed their doors last March, many students were forced to move back to their hometowns to complete the academic year online. With most of these students staying in their locality from March until September, many of their part-time jobs allocated them more hours to help deal with the surge in demand from the coronavirus pandemic …” (more)

[Conor Brummell, SIN, 13 October]

“In June, a new dawn broke for universities. They finally had a government department for themselves – a seat at the cabinet table – and a real chance of concrete reform for the sector. And, on the whole, summer had been a hopeful time for the sector. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris had proven an energetic figure, indicating that he felt higher education needed to be rejigged – and that funding was a priority …” (more)

[Cormac Watson, University Times, 13 October]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins TD have today announced a series of new measures as part of Budget 2021. The package includes …” (more)

[MerrionStreet.ie, 13 October]

“All full-time third-level students are to receive a €250 payment in the coming year to help compensate for the move towards greater online learning. It is one of a number of education measures set to be unveiled in Budget 2021 including the hiring of 565 additional teachers to bring the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level to a record low …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 13 October]

“Insufficient data is being collected to determine the full income of thousands of students who are in receipt of third level grants, according to a new spending review. A report by the Department of Public Expenditure shows the State is spending about €360 million per year to a total of 77,000 students in further and higher education …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 6 October]

“Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing student grants to their highest historical levels …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 22 September]

“An asylum seeker who received top grades in his A-levels has said he cannot take up his place at Queen’s University because he is not eligible for a student loan or grant …” (more)

[Belfast Telegraph, 18 September]

“Sinn Féin spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Rose Conway-Walsh TD has called on the government to take immediate action to support students to make it to third-level by cutting fees and increasing SUSI supports …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 14 September]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of expanding eligibility for mature independents maintenance grants to include all mature applicants that have been forced to live with their parents for financial reasons; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 September]

“Student registration fees are ‘too high’ and will be looked at over the lifetime of the Government, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said. As students prepare for the college year, he insisted the Susi grant system will be flexible to ‘take on board if a family’s income has changed due to Covid-19’ …” (more)

[Catherine Devine, Independent, 1 September]

“Students should be refunded for accommodation if another Covid-19 lockdown forces the closure of colleges, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has said …” (more)

[Dominic McGrath, TheJournal.ie, 31 August]

“Thousands of university students have received notice that their SUSI payments will be delayed to October 9th as opposed to the usual September start date. This two week delay has left many financially stranded as they are still expected to pay accommodation deposits or a full months’ rent before SUSI issues its first instalments …” (more)

[Casey Conway, College Tribune, 26 August]

“Four in five students fear they won’t have enough money to stay in college this year. And Covid-19 is to blame because of falling incomes in families and the complete collapse of summer work that normally allow students to build a nest egg for the year …” (more)

[Ferghal Blaney, Dublin Live, 20 August]

“Whether your birds are tots or about to fledge, the cost of college is a worry. If they are still young, you have time to save. If you have a prospective ‘fresher’, from September 11th, they will know what they skill study and where. So how much does a third-level education cost these days, and how can parents and students save money? …” (more)

[Joanne Hunt, Irish Times, 18 August]

“This week, the government announced that students living in direct provision will no longer have to have spent three years in the Irish education system or have completed the leaving certificate to qualify for a college grant. On first reading, this seems like an encouraging development – and a vindication of Higher Education Minister Simon Harris’s commitment to use the Department of Higher Education as a driver of ‘social cohesion’ …” (more)

[University Times, 16 August]

“Young asylum seekers no longer have to spend three years in the Irish school system in order to qualify for educational support at third level, the Government will announce. The latest revision to the student grant scheme for young people in direct provision, to be announced today, means asylum seekers will no longer need to have completed the Leaving Cert or have spent three years in an Irish school to be able to apply for a student grant when moving into third level …” (more)

[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 10 August]

“A Kerry councillor is calling for a radical overhaul of the Student Grant Scheme due to COVID-19. Fine Gael Councillor Michael Foley says he has been contacted by parents and students who are concerned about financing their places in college and the status of their applications for maintenance grants …” (more)

[Radio Kerry News, 9 August]

“Sinn Féin spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Rose Conway-Walsh has called on Further and Higher Education to be made accessible and affordable for everyone irrespective of their age, geography or financial circumstances …” (more)

[Sinn Féin, 6 August]

“Sinn Féin TD Kathleen Funchion is calling for third-level education to be made accessible and affordable for everyone, irrespective of age, geography or financial circumstances. Deputy Funchion is asking students in the Carlow/Kilkenny constituency to ‘tell their story’ by filling out Sinn Féin’s survey on the grants system …” (more)

[Suzanne Pender, Carlow Nationalist, 6 August]

“Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports that have been put in place to help students returning to third-level education who are uncertain as to the way in which they will pay fees, especially in cases in which part-time income has been affected by Covid-19 …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 30 July]