A Kerry councillor is calling for a radical overhaul of the Student Grant Scheme due to COVID-19.
Fine Gael Councillor Michael Foley says he has been contacted by parents and students who are concerned about financing their places in college and the status of their applications for maintenance grants.
He is calling for a change to the system, as the means test for a student entering college for the 2020/21 academic year would be based on their parents' income for 2019.
Councillor Foley says the incomes of many families has changed, with some parents now unemployed or on reduced hours.
He is calling for allowances to be made in the application process, to reflect the current climate and for a full review of the student grant scheme in the budget for 2021.