Under the terms of the student support schemes, maintenance grants are payable to eligible students at either the adjacent or the non-adjacent rate. Except in the case of mature students, the adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable where the grant-holder's normal residence is 15 miles or less from the college being attended. The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in all other cases.
Prior to 1995, students who were residing more than 15 miles from the college and who could reasonably be expected to travel to college each day having regard to the journey and available transport, were only entitled to the adjacent rate of maintenance grant. The schemes of third level student support, since 1995, provide that the non-adjacent rate would be payable in all circumstances where the student resides more than 15 miles from the college. Any proposal to align the rates of payable at the non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant would have significant cost implications and would have to have regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the education sector.