Ninth Level Ireland

“Northern Ireland students are ramping up their campaign to see the £500 Covid Disruption Grant received by other students in higher education extended to those who were excluded. The payment does not currently apply to students from Northern Ireland studying elsewhere, while those in further education are only able to receive a one-off payment of £60 to address digital poverty …” (more)

[Andrew Madden, Belfast Telegraph, 27 April]

“Around £2m is being paid to universities in Northern Ireland by Stormont to administer the £20m student Covid support scheme. All students attending universities here are eligible for the scheme, which provides a £500 grant …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 16 April]

“With recent polls in the North showing near-equal support for reunification and for union with Britain, it is important for those of us studying in the Republic to consider the effects a united Ireland might have on third-level education here …” (more)

[Fionnán Uibh Eochach, University Times, 16 March]

“Third-level students in Northern Ireland have reacted positively to plans to give them access to the Erasmus programme post-Brexit, Ireland’s Further and Higher Education Minister has said. Simon Harris said talks have been under way between higher education institutions (HEIs) on both sides of the border about Northern Ireland students taking part in the EU’s student exchange scheme through Irish colleges and that early indications are that students are interested in taking up the offer …” (more)

[Michelle Devane, Belfast Telegraph, 15 March]

“Almost 40,000 students at university or in full time education in Northern Ireland will receive a one off £500 payment to mitigate against the disruption caused by Covid-19. The scheme will cost £22 million and students have been told they can expect payment before the end of March …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 4 February]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps he is taking to protect the access of Northern Ireland applicants to the Erasmus programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 3 February]

“Student doctors who put their lives on the line during the Covid pandemic are not getting a £2,000 bonus being given to other health service trainees. Last week, Health Minister Robin Swann announced that nurses in Northern Ireland are to receive a £500 ‘special recognition’ payment for their work during the pandemic, while some student nurses will get £2,000 …” (more)

[Lisa Smyth, Belfast Telegraph, 4 February]

“Economy Minister Diane Dodds is to meet the Republic’s Higher Education Minister to discuss NI students taking part in the Erasmus scheme for European study. UK students can no longer participate in the Erasmus programme, which funds third-level academic study in the EU and other projects …” (more)

[Margaret Canning, Belfast Telegraph, 4 February]

“Northern Ireland’s two main universities have been urged to follow the lead of their counterparts in Great Britain and introduce a ‘no detriment’ policy to protect student grades against the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said he has written to both academic institutions, asking them to follow the policy …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 13 January]

“Sir, – The proposal to spend €2.1 million of tax money to fund Northern Irish students on the Erasmus scheme is unacceptable. The idea that our Government could contemplate funding students in the UK …” (more)

[Letters, Irish Times, 31 December]

“The two local universities are considering taking advantage of a new UK student foreign exchange programme while also being able to avail of the EU’s Erasmus scheme. The UK’s withdrawal from Erasmus has been described as a huge blow by the other devolved nations, which will no longer be able to participate …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 29 December]

“The decision for the UK to withdraw from the Erasmus student exchange programme has been described as ‘a huge blow’ by the Scottish Government’s Universities Minister. Richard Lochhead lamented the decision to leave the scheme as part of the UK leaving the European Union …” (more)

[Douglas Barrie, Belfast Telegraph, 28 December]

“Third level students from Northern Ireland colleges will continue to be able to study in Europe under the Erasmus+ scheme after the UK leaves the EU because the Irish Government will fund them. The estimated cost will be around €2.1m per year …” (more)

[Vincent Kearney, RTÉ News, 26 December]

“Students at NI universities can continue to participate in the Erasmus scheme under an arrangement with the Irish government. Erasmus is an EU programme that helps students study in other countries. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the UK will not continue to participate in it and will be replacing it with a new scheme …” (more)

[John Campbell, BBC News NI, 24 December]

“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if universities are in a position to assure students applying from Northern Ireland that under no circumstance will they be charged international fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil debates, 15 December]

“Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements that have been made to ensure that students from Northern Ireland will continue to be treated as previously in Irish universities post Brexit as far as fees and so on are concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 12 November]

“A union representing many school leaders has said cancelling exams in 2021 ‘cannot be ruled out’. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said it was ‘ever more likely’ that exams would not fully take place next year …” (more)

[BBC News, 10 November]

“Almost £4 million is being provided to create extra university places following the cancellation of A-levels in Northern Ireland. This includes medical, nursing and midwifery courses, Finance Minister Conor Murphy said …” (more)

[Michael McHugh, Belfast Telegraph, 11 September]

“Earlier this year, Colr Farrell tabled a motion calling on the Economy Minister to ‘make the necessary adjustments to the Maximum Student Numbers for exclusive use in Derry to allow planned expansion to become a reality’ …” (more)

[Derry Journal, 1 September]

“The oversubscription to Ulster University and Queen’s due to this week’s A-Level u-turn could be eased by raising the Maximum Student Number (MaSN) cap and allocating more places to Magee …” (more)

[Kevin Mullan, Derry Journal, 21 August]