USI calls on Education Minister to protect mature students

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has called on the Minister for Education, Mary Coughlan, to ensure that mature students are protected from crippling cuts that will prevent them from accessing college.

A group of mature students gave a presentation last week to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education on the affects of refusing them the maintenance grant.

In the Budget of December 2009, the Government decided to discontinue the eligibility of mature students in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) for the student maintenance grant.

The Government claims that these cuts are in line with the cost of living, but according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office, the cost of education rose by 11.6 % in 2009.

Increased financial difficulties are negatively affecting the mental well-being and the quality of life of students in Ireland.

Without the student maintenance grant, many mature students will be prevented from entering higher education in Ireland and current mature students will be forced to drop out of their courses.

USI is calling on the Joint Committee of the Oireachtas to support, and take the necessary steps, to lift the budgetary changes to the BTEA.

An adequate financial support system is essential in allowing mature students to access third level education in this country. 

Peter Mannion, USI President, said: 'mature students are facing a very uncertain future in further and higher education. With cuts like these, many mature students simply will not have the financial resources to attain further and higher education. 

Many mature students may have missed out on education before and now the door is being shut on these students again. Withdrawing the maintenance grant from mature students, who are on the back to education allowance, is a sure fire way to keep them out of the educational system. 

USI calls on the Ministers of Education and Finance to examine the consequences of this action and to quickly rectify the situation and give peace of mind to mature students who are still unsure as to whether they can enter further and higher education.'