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Thousands of third level students will receive refunds or credit notes worth up to € 250 in the coming weeks.
The one-time payments, worth a total of € 50 million, are aimed at compensating students for progress towards greater online learning this year.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris told an Oireachtas education committee on Thursday that those eligible for the reimbursements will be undergraduate students who have paid the € 3,000 student enrollment fee or who receive Susi scholarships.
He said he hoped a supplemental grant would be available to Susi grant students before Christmas, if possible.
Details on how the payment will be issued to other students are still being worked out, but it may take the form of a fee refund or a credit note.
Harris is due to submit proposals to Cabinet next week with details on how the plan will work.
The Minister also confirmed that more than 2,000 additional higher education course slots that were created to relieve CAO point pressure last September will remain in the system for years to come.
This development will help alleviate the point pressure for this year’s Leaving Cert cohort of students due to take state tests next June.
“It was not a one-time problem. We’ve saved those places, if you want, which is important, ”Harris said.
“This year was a terrible year for students, but I hope that one of the good things that comes out is a very significant investment in expanding higher education places.”
Dropout rates
In addition, he said funding has been provided for an additional 2,700 college places next year to address the pressure of population growth.
Harris confirmed that he is encouraging universities to prioritize on-campus activity for freshmen and seniors, assuming the Covid-19 restrictions are eased.
The measure is intended in part to address concerns that student dropout rates could rise due to the emphasis on distance learning.
“I am really concerned about the mental health and well-being of the students and the dropout rates,” he said.
“Yes, God willing, we return to Level 3, that means more activity on campus than Level 5 … It is not unreasonable that, in exchange for the massive investment we are making to the university sector to help them with Covid, we say that we want to see an expansion of campus activity on the site, subject to public health councils. “
Education Minister Norma Foley also told the Oireachtas education committee that around € 500 million is being invested to keep schools open and support ICT and distance learning.
He also confirmed that at the beginning of December 55 million euros will be paid in subsidies for minor works for primary and post-primary schools.
Ms. Foley said that the early payment of these grants will give schools a good preparation period to plan and undertake construction next year.
The minor works grant aims to help schools improve ventilation, buy furniture or adapt bathroom areas to help deal with the Covid-19 threat.
In the case of primary schools, the funding will consist of a basic grant of € 5,500 plus funding per student ranging from € 18.50 per ordinary student to € 74 per student with special needs attending a special school or special class .
For example, a primary school with 60 students will receive around € 6,610 and a school with 300 students will receive € 11,050.
In the case of a secondary school, this will consist of a basic grant of € 10,000 plus € 55 per mainstream student and € 220 per student in a special class.
For example, a school of 50 students would receive € 37,500 and a school of 1,000 students would receive € 65,000.
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