John Perry
Question:154 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make a statement on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the student top-up grant. [28400/01]
Vol. 544 No. 2
154 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make a statement on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the student top-up grant. [28400/01]
The report of the action group on access to third level education makes detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students.
The action group considered that the target group of those most in need could best be defined in terms of the child dependants of people on long-term welfare payments, in respect of whom continued child dependant allowance is being paid, by virtue of their being in full-time education, that is child dependants in the age group 18 to 22.
The action group recommended that the special rates of maintenance grant should also be available to mature students, that is students aged 23 and over, but subject to specific conditions, namely, he or she, must qualify for one of my Department's ordinary maintenance grants; total reckonable income, in the tax year to 5 April 2001, must not exceed £7,400; as at 1 April 2001, the applicant's spouse or partner must be in receipt of one of the specified social welfare payments and be in receipt of full-rate qualified adult allowance, or similar entitlement, in respect of the applicant or the applicant, him or herself, must be in receipt of one of the specified social welfare payments
It is clear that, to target those most in need, the action group wished eligibility for the special rates of grant to be confined to students where family income comes from long-term social welfare payments or, alternatively, from specific schemes such as the community employment scheme.
The eligibility requirements for the special rates of maintenance grant will be reviewed on an ongoing basis with a view to extending eligibility. A first step will be to assess the coverage and effectiveness of the implementation of the special rates in this first year of operation.