Calls to help part-time students with fees

The Government should begin removing financial barriers to part-time study by increasing the amount of tax relief available for fees, says a leading academic.

The Royal Irish Academy recommended earlier this year that fees for 20,000 part-time undergraduate students in higher education should be covered by the same free tuition scheme for full-time students.

In the meantime, academy president Mary Daly suggests raising the assistance available to part-time students who pay undergraduate fees of over €40m a year. They can only claim tax relief for any amount over €1,500 and at the standard 20% income tax rate, even if they pay higher tax rates on some of their income.