473A Relief for fees paid for third level education, etc.
(1) In this section-
"academic year", in relation to an approved course, means a year of study commencing on a date not earlier than the 1st day of August in a year of assessment;
"appropriate percentage", in relation to a year of assessment, means a percentage equal to the standard rate of tax for that year;
"approved college", in relation to a year of assessment, means-
- a college or institution of higher education in the State which-
- provides courses to which a scheme approved by the Minister under the Local Authorities (Higher Education) Grants Acts, 1968 to 1992, applies, or
- operates in accordance with a code of standards which from time to time may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, be laid down by the Minister, and which the Minister approves for the purposes of this section;
- any university or similar institution of higher education in a Member State of the
European Union (other than the State) which-
- is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds of that or any other Member State of the European Union (including the State), or is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds of that or any other Member State of the European Union including the State), or
- is a duly accredited university or institution of higher education in the Member State in which it is situated;
- a college or institution in another Member State of the European Union providing
distance education in the State, which-
- provides courses to which a scheme approved by the Minister under the Local Authority (Higher Education) Grants Acts, 1968 to 1992, applies, or
- operates in accordance with a code of standards which from time to time may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, be laid down by the Minister, and which the Minister approves for the purposes of this section;
- any university or similar institution of higher education in any country, other than the State or a Member State of the European Union which-
- is maintained or assisted by recurrent grants from public funds of that country, or
- is a duly accredited university or institution of higher education in the country in which it is situated;
"approved course" means-
- a full-time or part-time undergraduate course of study provided by a college to which
paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of the definition of "approved college"
relates which-
- is of at least 2 academic years' duration, and
- in the case of a course provided by a college to which paragraph (a)(ii) or (c)(ii) of the definition of "approved college" relates, the Minister, having regard to a code of standards which from time to time may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, be laid down by the Minister in relation to the quality of education to be offered on such approved course, approves of for the purposes of this section;
- a postgraduate course of study leading to a postgraduate award, based on a thesis or on the results of an examination or both, in an approved college-
- of not less than one academic year, but not more than 4 academic years, in duration,
- that requires an individual, undertaking the course, to have been conferred with a degree or an equivalent qualification, and
- that, in the case of a course provided by a college to which paragraph (a)(ii) of the definition of ''approved college'' relates, the Minister, having regard to any code of standards which from time to time may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, be laid down by the Minister in relation to the quality of education to be offered on such approved course, approves for the purposes of this section;