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Student Grant Scheme Application Numbers

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Questions (272)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

272. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students currently waiting for their applications for a higher education grant to be finalised throughout the country; the number of students from County Tipperary currently waiting for their applications for a higher education grant to be finalised; if Student Universal Support Ireland has given his office an explanation as to the reason so many applicants are being asked for information that has already been submitted; the number of students that have been approved for a higher education grant currently waiting for payment to be made; if he is satisfied with the efficiency of the SUSI Office in view of the fact that many students are still awaiting a decision in January; the efforts he will make to ensure that payments are finalised without further delay; the efforts he will make to ensure that there is not a repeat of this situation next year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1018/13]

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Written answers

The following table provides a breakdown of the processing position of student grant applications received by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) on a county basis. The data provided is at a point in time on 15 January, 2013. It gives the position for student grant applications for attendance at both further and higher education. This data has been provided to my Department by SUSI.

SUSI is continuing to make payments on a weekly basis to ensure students can get paid their grant as expeditiously as possible, once they have been awarded a grant. Those awarded a grant must supply bank account details and confirmation of registration must be received from the institution in order for the first instalment to be paid.

Following initial submission of a grant application, students progressing to the next stage of the assessment process are issued with a checklist of documentary evidence which they need to provide in order to complete their application. This checklist is tailored from the specific information provided on the student's application. The checklist outlines the supporting documentation required and where this documentation can be sourced.

SUSI may, on receipt of this documentation, require further additional documents to determine eligibility. This arises for a variety of reasons. It may emerge, as a result of the documentation provided, that something was omitted from the student's initial on-line application or that further clarification on information provided is needed. In a small number of cases it may emerge that a document that is needed in support of the application was not requested at provisional assessment stage. The Deputy will appreciate that in the context of SUSI having received in excess of 67,000 applications that some errors may inevitably arise when handling a high volume of applications within a relatively short timeframe.

An external review of SUSI's business processes will be put in place in the coming weeks to inform improvements in the system for the 2013/14 academic year.

SUSI - Applications - Processing Position by County

County

Total applications received

Incomplete Applications

Applications where all requested documentation submitted

Awarded

Refused/Cancelled

Applications currently with SUSI for processing

Maintenance Payments

Fees only awards approved

Carlow

975

292

683

454

218

11

259

108

Cavan

1332

384

948

621

313

14

433

86

Clare

1787

544

1243

855

370

18

517

155

Cork

6896

2209

4687

2939

1696

51

1804

606

Donegal

2913

835

2078

1444

603

31

913

300

Dublin

14142

4947

9195

5209

3852

134

2994

1140

Galway

4440

1405

3035

1999

1000

35

1144

455

Kerry

2492

748

1744

1137

578

29

721

218

Kildare

2717

839

1878

1107

741

30

698

209

Kilkenny

1395

419

976

629

335

12

393

127

Laois

1061

305

756

507

231

18

312

98

Leitrim

644

203

441

293

140

8

182

55

Limerick

2861

960

1901

1250

628

23

729

310

Longford

757

218

539

352

182

5

231

66

Louth

2166

667

1499

964

510

25

603

196

Mayo

2495

762

1733

1188

523

21

729

221

Meath

2435

753

1682

1063

596

23

701

157

Monaghan

1115

326

789

530

247

12

355

73

Offaly

1242

341

901

607

286

8

399

110

Roscommon

1179

340

839

560

263

16

355

96

Sligo

1222

419

803

528

265

10

301

119

Tipperary

2651

764

1887

1236

630

20

769

254

Waterford

1918

540

1378

858

507

13

487

221

Westmeath

1676

477

1199

786

403

10

507

149

Wexford

2351

620

1731

1163

546

22

733

210

Wicklow

1945

566

1379

852

520

7

564

126

Outside Ireland

545

212

333

145

179

13

65

32

Totals

67,352

21,095

46,257

29,276 *

16,362

619

17,898 **

5,897

* This figure includes some 1,134 provisionally awarded awaiting final course acceptance and some 5,897 students awarded a "fees only grant".

** This figure does not include some 1,586 students who will be paid their student grants on 18 January, 2013.

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