Vol. 501 No. 1
183 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science if the application for an independent mature student grant for a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be granted for the full non-adjacent rate in view of the fact she is attending a third level course at Liverpool community college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5416/99]
Under the terms of the student support schemes, the rate of maintenance grant payable is determined by reference to the distance from the student's normal residence to the college which she or he is attending.
In the case of independent mature students, normal residence is defined as the address of the candidate while in attendance at college. If this address is 15 miles or less from the college which she or he is attending, the adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable. If the address is more than 15 miles from the college, the non-adjacent rate of grant is payable.
I previously indicated my concern about mature students generally and independent mature students in particular in regard to the rate of grant payable. As part of my plans to tackle educational disadvantage at third level, I recently announced total additional funding of £6.9 million to be allocated over the next two years to address such issues. Included in this allocation is provision of £2.4 million to fund an improvement of the maintenance grants scheme so that all eligible mature students will now qualify for the higher non-adjacent rate of grant. The new arrangements will be provided for in the context of the 1999 student support schemes, which will be available later in the year.
