Extra €3m allocated to help students

The Minister for Education and Skills announced an extra €3 million to assist third-level students facing financial hardship on Wednesday.
Minister Ruairí Quinn made the allocation in response to the delay in the processing of some student grants and higher education institutions reporting a significant increase in demand for the Student Assistance Fund.
Minister Quinn is allocating the money to the Student Assistance Fund, which is available to third-level students who are experiencing severe financial hardship or who may have to drop out of college for financial reasons.
This will bring the fund up to €11m and is expected to assist in the region of 16,000 students this academic year. This year, universities, Institutes of Technology and other third-level institutes are reporting an average increase in applications to the fund of 67% to date. 
“I am acutely aware of the severe financial difficulties facing many families and students this academic year,” said Minister Quinn, “In light of this and the delays to the processing of some student grants, the Department of Education and Skills requested the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to examine if there was an increased demand from students to access the Student Assistance Fund.”
The HEA asked 32 institutions to complete a short survey on the current position on the administration of the Student Assistance Fund. Overall, demand for the Fund has increased substantially on last year. It is also reported that a significant proportion of the total Fund has already been committed at this stage in the academic year.
“Given the substantial increase reported by third-level institutions, we have found the resources within our own budget to increase the Fund by €3m which will help thousands more students stay in college or avoid hardship.”
“I recognise that the problems with SUSI, the new grant awarding body, is one of the factors driving students to seek help but there are others such as the withdrawal of other sources of funding like those from societies or partnerships and the increased numbers of students in poverty and I hope the increased money now available to the fund will go some way to alleviating student hardship,” concluded Minister Quinn.