Migrant families living in Ireland will no longer have to pay the 10,000- to 12,000-euro fee that migrant students in Ireland have previously been asked to pay for their third-level education.
The concession marks a significant point of progress in the campaign for equal access to education.
In essence, the change means that migrant students will be treated in the same way as other Irish students in that they need only pay the standard registration fee of 2,500 euro. Until now, the plight of migrant students trying to receive a third-level education in Ireland had been ignored, with as many as 700 students affected each year by restrictions on access to education. The Department of Education estimates that the concession will benefit around 600 students over the next four years.
The concession applies to legally resident non-EU students who gain Irish or other EU citizenship. Students may have to satisfy certain conditions, such as provide evidence that they have been resident in Ireland for three of the past five years.
Information on the Free Fees Scheme and the Student Grant Scheme, including eligibility criteria, can be found on the student finance website.
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