Vol. 396 No. 3
231 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Education if she will introduce a graduated system for the rate of scholarships-European Social Fund grants to students instead of the present guidelines laid down by her Department whereby the higher rate is paid to person living 15 miles from the relevant college and the lower rate to persons living, for example, as little as 50 yards under 15 miles.
In accordance with the provisions of the higher education grants scheme, the VEC scholarship scheme and the scheme for the payment of European Social Fund grants, the lower adjacent rate of the maintenance element of grant—where the maintenance element is payable—is applied in the case of every candidate whose normal family residence is within 15 miles of the college, university or other institution of higher education which he/she is attending, and in the case of a candidate who could reasonably be expected, in the light of distance and local public transport services, to travel daily between his/her home and such college, university, or other institution of higher education. The 15 miles rule is considered reasonable and I have no proposals to review this provision.
