January 2017 NUI Galway welcomes confirmation that Northern Irish Students will continue to Qualify for the Free Fees Initiative

NUI Galway today (27 January, 2017) welcomed confirmation from the Department of Education and Skills that eligible students from the UK who enrol for eligible courses for the 2017/18 academic year will be able to avail of the Department’s Free Fee Schemes as in previous years. This means that students from Northern Ireland eligible under the Free Fees Initiative for 2017/18 will be entitled to avail of the initiative for the duration of their course.

This clarification addresses concerns that the triggering of Article 50 could impact on students should the UK leave the European Union before the student completes her or his degree.

Registrar and Deputy President of NUI Galway, Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh said: “NUI Galway has been working closely with key stakeholders and relevant partners to ensure that students from Britain and Northern Ireland studying here are not disadvantaged in the event of withdrawal from the European Union. We are pleased that Northern Irish students now have certainty that they will be able to avail of free fee schemes in the event of Article 50 being triggered over the course of their studies.”

Ms Grainne Dunne, NUI Galway’s Northern Ireland School Liaison Officer added: "The recent initiative by the Irish Universities Association to revise the model for converting A-Level grades to Leaving Certificate points, thereby increasing the CAO points awarded for A Level grades, saw a significant rise in students applying to NUI Galway in 2016. We anticipate a similar upward trend this year and our prospective students from Northern Ireland will certainly be encouraged by this news on the status of the fees."

ENDS