New Website to Provide User Friendly Guide to Student Grants
www.studentfinance.ie launched by Minister Hanafin
The Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, TD, launched the www.studentfinance.ie website,
a comprehensive, user friendly guide to student grants and supports in further and higher education.
The website is an initiative of the National Access Office of the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and
provides information on the full range of student supports, including maintenance grants, the Fund for
Students with Disabilities, the Back to Education Allowance and the Student Assistance Fund. The
launch took place at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
Www.studentfinance.ie has been designed to help users to quickly and conveniently identify the various
sources of financial support for which they are eligible and how they can apply. The website features
large text and low vision options and the structure of the site reflects established best practice in
maximising accessibility. The HEA anticipates that www.studentfinance.ie will be a valuable
information resource for students, prospective students, their families and those who provide advice
and guidance to them.
Research conducted by the HEA in recent years has consistently shown there can be significant
knowledge deficits for many students, prospective students and their families in relation to the
maintenance grant schemes and associated financial support programmes. Www.studentfinance.ie is
designed to fill this gap in a clear and accessible format. The site will be regularly updated to
ensure that the very latest information is available. The launch of the website coincides with the
2008 CAO applications period for full-time higher-education courses. The initial closing date for
applications to the CAO is February 1.
Minister Hanafin said –
“The site will be a major step forward in ensuring that barriers to accessing further or higher
education which relate to inadequate information are pulled down.”
Michael Kelly, Chairman of the HEA said –
“The HEA and the Department have been strongly promoting the message for some time now that further
and higher education and lifelong learning can be an aspiration for all. With www.studentfinance.ie,
students and prospective students will be better informed about the financial supports that are there
to support them in making their educational aspirations a reality.”
Michael Kelly, Chairman of the HEA said –
“We anticipate that www.studentfinance.ie will be a valuable information resource for students,
prospective students, their families and those who provide advice and guidance to them.”