The Dublin South West TD was responding to the latest budget cuts and delay in 3rd level students accessing their grants through the SUSI system that is months behind in processing grant applications.

Deputy Seán Crowe said

“Despite all of the hardship that students and their families have faced over recent months as a result of the flawed SUSI system and the resulting debacle in processing their grants the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has pressed ahead with increasing the student contribution fee.

“These cuts combined with long delays are literally starving many students out of further education and making it increasingly difficult for ordinary families to support their children’s access to higher education.

“The €250 increase in the Third Level contribution fee to €2,500 will hit  many students  and their families particularly hard and with additional hike of €250 to made  in 2014 and 2015 many simply will  not be able to afford to attend college.

“It is a decision that will  make access even more difficult and result in less  students from lower income families.breaking the further education ceiling.

“Minister Quinn’s budget decision to reduce by 3% the eligibility threshold for student grants  is  estimated to affect about 8% of students.

“This means thousands of additional  students will be denied the essential financial supports that are necessary for them to participate in higher education.

“In my opinion these increases of fees and changes in the eligibility criteria will succeed in making access to college much too costly for many students and  makes a mockery of the concept of free, universal access to third level education.”