David Stanton
Question:109 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Education and Science if EU citizens are eligible for qualification for the mature student grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12946/04]
View answerWednesday, 5 May 2004
Questions (114)
Written answers
Under the terms of my Department's four student maintenance grant schemes, grants are payable to candidates pursuing approved full-time courses who meet prescribed conditions, including those pertaining to nationality, residency, means, age and previous academic attainment. All EU nationals are included in the categories eligible to be considered under the nationality clause of the schemes.
Under the residency requirement a candidate's parents, or in the case of an independent mature candidate, the candidate herself or himself, must have been resident in the State from 1 October of the year prior to entry on an approved course. Under the means test requirements, other than in the case of independent mature candidates, the candidate's means and those of his or her parents or guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that the parents' income be taken into account, irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not an independent mature student.
Mature students are categorised as either independent mature students or mature students dependent on parents. An independent mature student is defined as a mature student who was not ordinarily resident at home with his or her parents or guardians from 1 October preceding his or her entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are assessed without reference to either their parents or guardians income or address.
Under the terms of the scheme, all maintenance grants are payable at either the adjacent or the non-adjacent rate. The adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable where the grant holder's normal residence is 15 miles or less from the college which he or she is attending. The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in all other cases, including all eligible mature students who, with effect from the 1999-2000 academic year, qualify for the higher non-adjacent rate of grant.