The student maintenance grant is the main financial support available to students in higher education. Students who are entering approved courses are eligible for financial assistance where they satisfy the relevant conditions including those relating to residence, means, age, nationality and previous academic attainment. The assessment of means under my Department's student maintenance grant schemes is based on gross income from all sources. Therefore, all income is assessed from the same starting point, eliminating any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions. The income thresholds are stated on a gross income basis — the average industrial wage by reference to which the thresholds are calculated represents gross pay before any deductions for income tax or PRSI. The means test arrangements of the student maintenance grant schemes are applied nationally. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants, gross income is assessed with certain specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded. I have no plans at present to depart from the above practice in respect of the determination of income.