Part-time students ‘should get full-time funds’

PART-TIME third-level students should receive the same funding as their full-time counterparts, a report on increasing the number of poorer and disabled students going to college has recommended.

The study for the national access office of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) evaluated programmes in 27 institutions aimed at improving the participation of people from poor backgrounds, mature students and those with disabilities.

A key recommendation is that funding be made available for part-time students, including students with disability, on the same basis as full-time students. While the latter group are entitled to financial support under State grant schemes, part-time students are not. The recommendation echoes calls from groups hoping to increase participation by workers in lifelong learning, who have questioned the policy under which part-time students still have to pay tuition fees, as it discourages lower-educated and low-income workers from increasing their qualifications.