To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail (i) any eligibility criteria of the Further Education Grant; and (ii) whether her Department provides for any exceptional circumstances.

The Further Education (FE) Grant is available primarily to eligible students aged 19 years or over, with limited exceptions, who are undertaking an approved FE qualification at Level 3 or below. Eligibility is determined by a range of criteria including age, residency status, mode of attendance and household income, as the scheme is means-tested. Full details of the eligibility criteria are available on the Education Authority (EA) website: Further Education Grants | Education Authority Northern Ireland.

Applications are assessed against the published eligibility criteria and the scheme does not provide a general discretion to waive those criteria. However, the eligibility rules make provision for certain categories and circumstances and applicants who are unsure about their eligibility are advised to contact the EA.

My Department makes funding available to FE colleges through the Hardship Fund to support students experiencing exceptional financial difficulty. In the 2025/26 financial year, my Department allocated £735,000 for this purpose.