Are asylum seekers eligible to apply for grant assistance?
 
Asylum seekers are not eligible to be considered for grant assistance. But, candidates who have been awarded official refugees status or humanitarian leave to remain in the State are eligible to be considered for grant assistance on the same basis as Irish nationals. In the case of non-nationals who seek entry to vocational training programmes within the further education sector, refugees are treated on the same basis as Irish nationals in terms of access. The arrangements to be applied to non-nationals provide that in the case of asylum seekers with an entitlement to work, that is, those who entered the country before 26 July 1999, who have been waiting at least one year for a determination of their case and are in possession of a notification of their right to work from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform must be treated on the same basis as Irish nationals in terms of access to vocational training programmes within the further education sector. Asylum seekers who do not have an entitlement to work may avail of free access to adult literacy, English language and mother culture supports only.

Who can be granted by Department Education and Science?

The Department of Education and Science provides financial support under three third level maintenance grant schemes and one maintenance grant scheme in respect of post leaving certificate courses. Under the terms of the schemes, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, means-testing and previous academic attainment.
The main conditions of Department's free fees initiative are that students must be:
- First time undergraduates.
- Hold EU nationality.
- Have been ordinarily resident in an EU member state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.
In addition, the following categories of applicants will satisfy the Nationality test:
- Persons who have refugee status in Ireland.
- Persons who have permission to remain in the State as the spouse or the dependent relative of an Irish national.
- Persons who have permission to remain in the State as the spouse or the dependent relative of a person who has been granted refugee status in Ireland.
- Persons who have been granted temporary leave to remain in the State on humanitarian grounds, having been in the asylum process.
- Persons who have permission to remain in the State as the parents of an Irish citizen.