Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 9 September 2024
1961. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of any potential changes to the SUSI grant criteria to allow for the funding of hybrid and part-time courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33999/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI was delighted to launch the new Part Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses on August 1st, which will be introduced from September 2024.
This is the first time, under the Student Support Act, that fee support will be available for students studying part-time. Fee support will be provided to eligible part-time students attending specified publicly funded undergraduate courses leading to a major award.
There are 62 part-time courses identified as being eligible for this scheme for the 2024/25 academic year, encompassing both in-person and hybrid (part in-person, part online) provision. Eligible courses must have an average of between 30 and 50 credits (ECTS) per year.
Eligibility will be subject to meeting nationality, progression and residency criteria, similar to the existing Student Grant Scheme. This Scheme is means tested and a student’s total reckonable household income must fall below the threshold of €55,924 for the 2024/25 academic year. SUSI are administering the Scheme which is now open for applications for funding for the 2024/25 academic year at www.susi.ie.
This is an important new initiative which will open the doors of higher education to many groups who cannot participate in full time programmes.
My Department is committed to monitoring and evaluating the scheme during the pilot stage of this new initiative and there will be opportunities for new courses that meet the eligibility criteria to be included for the 2025/26 academic year to provide students with more flexibility of choice.
