Dáil Éireann Written Answers – Higher Education Grants

“Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reverse the cuts to third level grants, the impact of which will force thousands of students out of college …” (more)

[Dáil Éireann – Written Answers, 22 March]

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Students drop out over delay in grants

“Dozens of hard-up students are dropping out of college every week because of massive delays in issuing grants. Maintenance grants are supposed to be paid in three instalments over the academic year. But more than 2,000 students have still not received their first payment, which should have been issued in September last year …” (more)

[Nick Bramhill, Irish Examiner, 28 February]

Student Support Bill to simplify grant system

“Third-level students will be able to access grants from a single agency following the passage of one of the final pieces of legislation of the current Dáil …” (more)

[Ronan McGreevy, Irish Times, 27 January]

Mature students bear brunt of budgetary cutbacks

“From January 2012, student grants will be reduced by 4% and mature students will no longer automatically qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant. The non-adjacent rate is given to students living 45 kilometres away from the university, up from 24 kilometres prior to the budget …” (more)

[Karen O’Neill, College News, 26 January]

Tánaiste welcomes passing of Student Support Bill by Seanad Éireann

“The Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan TD, today welcomed completion of the final stages of the Student Support Bill in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill is likely to be one of the last pieces of legislation passed by the current Dáil and Seanad …” (more)

[Fianna Fáil, 26 January]

Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed)

“Senator David Norris … I am very happy to welcome the Minister of State to the House and I am sure he will pass on whatever substantial remarks are made during the remaining part of this debate. This is a significant matter, particularly for students who are under financial pressure …” (more)

[Seanad Debates, 18 January]

Higher Education Grants

“Deputy Bernard J Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills Mary Coughlan if she will confirm if she has received correspondence from Union of Students in Ireland in relation to proposed changes to maintenance grant criteria in Budget 2011; if she recognises the impact of same on students; if she will review same in the coming months; and if she will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil Written Answers, 12 January]

Student Support Bill 2008: Second Stage

“Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): I am pleased to introduce the Student Support Bill to the Seanad and to outline its main provisions. The Bill is the key element of our broader programme of legislative and administrative reform of the student grants system …” (more)

[Seanad Debates, 12 January]

Grant time delays still putting pressure on cash-strapped students, says Healy Eames

“Substantial time delays in the processing of student grants and other funds are continuing to cause huge difficulties and undue stress for students in Galway and across the country, according to Fine Gael Seanad Education spokesperson, Senator Fidelma Healy Eames …” (more)

[Martina Nee, Galway Advertiser, 13 January]

Farmers’ children may lose their college grants

“Thousands of children from farming families will be locked out of third-level education if farm assets are included in means-testing for college grants, farm organisations have warned …” (more)

[Caitriona Murphy, Independent, 11 January]

FG and Labour differ over asset test for college grants

“Fine Gael and Labour have failed to agree a common position over the controversial issue of introducing asset tests to help decide who gets higher education grants …” (more)

[John Walshe, Independent, 6 January]

Macra na Feirme criticises means testing plan

“Macra na Feirme has criticised a report which suggests that means tests for families of students applying for higher education grants should be extended to include assets …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 5 January]

Introduction of ‘asset test’ to change grants system

“Minister for Education Mary Coughlan is expected to make the controversial announcement of a new ‘asset test’ to be applied to students wishing to receive the maintenance grant, next week …” (more)

[Cork Student News, 5 January]

Assets to be means-tested in reform of college grant system

“The next government faces a political timebomb over a controversial report which paves the way for an ‘asset test’ to help decide who should get higher education grants. The move would hit farmers, the self-employed and professionals …” (more)

[John Walshe, Independent, 5 January]

Cash starved Longford students face uncertain future

“Rural students and the least well off are likely to bear the brunt of third level grant cuts and sink dozens of families deeper into the red, local politicians have warned …” (more)

[Liam Cosgrove, Longford Leader, 31 December]

Union Council Report three

“The past few weeks have been extremely demanding with a huge number of very challenging meetings and committees. Aside from the committee work I am engaged in hard lobbying of TDs and Senators to ensure a number of pieces of key legislation are passed before the dissolution of the Dáil, and also that some proposals vanish into the bin they deserve to be confined to …” (more)

[Aengus Ó Maoláin, 31 December]

Thousands of middle-class students given college grants

“Thousands of higher education grants are going to middle-class families, figures obtained by the Irish Independent reveal. Almost 13% of all new grants awarded in 2008/09 went to the children of professionals, employers and managers …” (more)

[John Walshe, Independent, 29 December]

Maintenance grant cuts will create 90km exclusion zone says McNelis

“Third level students and their families are to be penalised to the tune of thousands of euro every year if they live within 45km of their place of education …” (more)

[Kernan Andrews, Galway Advertiser, 16 December]

Student maintenance grants pared back further

“Criteria for payment of the non-adjacent rate of higher education maintenance grant are to be changed, with the qualifying distance almost doubled in 2011 …” (more)

[Education Matters, 13 December]

‘Sneaky’ changes hit Cork students

“Students from Carrigtwohill, Cobh, Fermoy, Mallow and Midleton who are receiving grants to attend third level courses in Cork could lose out due to the budget says Cork East Fine Gael TD David Stanton …” (more)

[Cork Politics, 10 December]