Olwyn Enright
Question:372 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science when the booklet, financial support for further and higher education for 2003-04 will be published and distributed to schools. [15774/03]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
The information booklet Financial Support for Further and Higher Education is published by my Department annually. The booklet is a guide to the range of student support schemes and other measures designed to assist students in third level and further education.
Each year the booklet is updated to reflect amendments to my Department's annual student maintenance grant schemes. The annual review of the terms and conditions of the maintenance grant schemes is being finalised within my Department at present. The schemes will issue to the awarding bodies following completion of the review. The 2003-04 edition of the booklet, suitably amended, will then be prepared with a view to publication as soon as possible.
The Deputy will be aware that on 25 May, I announced a package of measures costing €42 million in a full year to address the problem of disadvantage in third level education. The package comprises: an increase in the maintenance grant levels by 15%; a significant increase in the income thresholds for purposes of determining grant eligibility and an expansion in the number of thresholds, benefiting a greater number of students; an increase in the top income threshold from €36,897 to €40,000, ensuring that a significantly higher number of students from households with moderate incomes will not have to pay the €670 student service charge; an increase in the amount of the higher rate of the top-up grant to the level of the maximum personal rate of unemployment assistance. Approximately 7,500 grantholders will benefit under this measure.