Irish students from low-income families will not have to pay tuition fees for attending British universities, the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Martin, confirmed during a visit to London yesterday.
A sliding scale of tuition fees for students in the UK will be published by the British government in January, whereby only students from middle-income and high-income families will be asked to make a contribution to tuition fees.
An outline of the scheme proposes that 30 per cent of all students attending universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will not pay fees, while families with incomes under £35,000 will be asked to pay less than £1,000. Families with an income above £35,000 will pay £1,000. In Scotland, approximately 40 per cent of students will be exempt from tuition fees, while those with a family income of below £26,000 a year will pay under £1,000 in fees. Students with a family income above £26,000 will pay £1,000 a year.
All students in the UK, including those from Ireland, will be treated in the same way.
Speaking after a meeting with the Education and Employment Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, Mr Martin said he was satisfied the impact of the sliding scale of tuition fees would not materially affect the choice of Irish students wishing to study in the UK.
Announcing an additional £130,000 in Irish Government funding towards promoting exchanges between Irish and British students, Mr Martin said he hoped the scheme would build stronger relationships between students "so that those children don't have the baggage of the past".
Discussions about the inclusion of the Irish language on the British school curriculum were "extremely positive", Mr Martin said, and Mr Blunkett agreed to give the idea "very sympathetic consideration".
Later, Mr Martin visited the Bishop Thomas Grant School in Southwark, south London, where 27 students are studying Irish up to GCSE level.