Employment and Learning Minister Dr. Stephen Farry announced the introduction of a new ‘top-up’ tuition fee loan for part-time undergraduate higher education students.
University education will now become even more attractive and accessible to many more people at different stages in life and in their careers.
Minister Farry said: “At the moment part-time students can access grant funding to support them with their tuition fees, but it is often not enough to cover the full cost of their tuition and it is also means tested. In reality, most part-time students are ineligible to receive any support and the vast majority must self-fund their studies.
“Following a public consultation exercise, I am now pleased to announce a new, non means tested, ‘top-up’ tuition fee loan for part-time students. Students from lower incomes will continue to be able to access the existing grants, but they will also be able to top them up with a loan for their tuition fees should they need to, providing them with the same level of tuition fee support over the lifetime of their course as their full-time counterparts. Students ineligible to receive the existing fee grants will also be able to access these new loans.
“This combination of grants and loans for part-time tuition fee support is unique within the UK. It will vastly improve access to financial support for part-time students and ensure closer parity with their full-time counterparts. But introducing this improved support package is not only a matter of social justice; it is an economic imperative as we contend with increasing skills demands and the need to up-skill and re-skill our existing workforce.”
Welcoming the announcement, Professor Margaret Topping, Dean of The Graduate School at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Part-time students are an important component of the higher education system, and as an institution Queen’s is committed to ensuring that those who have the ability to attend university should have the opportunity to do so. Therefore, we welcome today’s announcement and hope it will encourage yet more people to seek out and access the opportunities open to them in the higher education sector.”
Professor Richard Millar, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Ulster University said: “Ulster University welcomes this announcement which will deliver much needed financial support to the growing numbers of part time students in Northern Ireland. Part-time study is a flexible option for those who are employed full or part time, or have childcare or other commitments, and want to enhance their knowledge, improve career prospects and realise their potential. Ulster University offers an extensive range of part-time study options across a range of relevant subjects from business and accounting to biomedical sciences, community work, social policy, law, Irish Language and computing. I hope that this new loan facility will encourage even more people to access the variety of third level learning opportunities on offer.”
Also welcoming the announcement, John D’Arcy, National Director of The Open University in Northern Ireland, said: “This innovative new deal for part-time students will make higher education much more viable for people who need to balance their studies with other commitments, such as work or caring responsibilities.”
Fergal McFerran, president of the National Union of Students – Union of Students in Ireland, added: “I am pleased to see the issue of financial support for part-time students on the agenda, and I welcome the announcement today which goes some way in ensuring that robust support is in place to make higher education as accessible as possible. Today’s announcement is an example of the kind of investment necessary to ensure students are adequately supported so that in the future they can play their role in allowing Northern Ireland to thrive.”
There are currently about 20,000 students in universities and colleges who could potentially access the new ‘top-up’ loans. The new ‘top-up’ loans, subject to the Student Loans Company implementation, should be available from 2017/18 academic year.
Check out the DEL website soon for an update on these loans.
