Jim O'Keeffe
Question:39 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education the steps, if any, she proposes to make third level education more accessible to the children of parents whose incomes are above grant eligibility levels.
Written Answers. - Third Level Education.
Under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress the higher education grants scheme will be re-examined in the context particularly of increasing the income eligibility limits for families with more than one child attending third level; assessing income eligibility of mature students who are not dependent on their parents, on the basis of their own and, if married, that of their spouses' incomes; the development of more equitable income assessment criteria for all applicants.
I am confident that these measures will further facilitate access of those most in need. The Deputy may be aware that there are at present over 50 per cent of students in third level in receipt of grant aid. In the VEC colleges the figures is in the order of 90 per cent. These figures indicate the extent to which third level access is already being facilitated by the various schemes of financial assistance to students.