Jan O'Sullivan
Question:292 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Science if rent allowance is taken into account in assessing means to qualify for a third level grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31134/03]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
Under the means test provisions of my Department's student maintenance grant schemes, a candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the award of a grant is the candidate's gross income from all sources and that of his or her parents or guardians, where applicable.
Social welfare and health board payments are excluded when calculating a candidate's reckonable income such as child benefit, family income supplement, disability allowance, where paid to the candidate, blind pension, where paid to the candidate, means tested one parent family payments, orphan's pensions; back to education allowance, foster care allowance, domiciliary care allowance and carer's allowance. As rent allowance is not one of the excluded payments, it is included in the calculation of reckonable income for grant purposes.