Student Support Schemes Issues

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Questions (123)

Joe McHugh

Question:

123. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will advise Irish families who support third level students of the financial supports available where reckonable household incomes exceed €44,000. [28793/13]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. Various income thresholds for a grant apply depending on the number of dependent children in a family and/or the number of children attending further and higher education. Any applicant, below these thresholds and who meets all of the other terms and conditions of the student grant scheme will qualify for a grant.

In addition to the student grant tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie. A table outlining the income thresholds for the 2013/14 academic year follows.

SCHEDULE 1

Reckonable Income Limits for maintenance and fee grants for the 2013/14 academic year

Part A

1. Reckonable income limits:

The period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012 is the reference period for the academic year 2013/14.

The income limits that apply to tuition students relate to the fee elements only. A tuition student does not qualify for any maintenance grant .

Income limits for Maintenance and Fee grants — Table A

-	Maintenance	Maintenance	Maintenance	Maintenance	Maintenance	Maintenance	Maintenance	Maintenance
-	Special Rate*	100% Standard Rate	75% Standard Rate	50% Standard Rate	25% Standard Rate	Not payable	Not payable	Not payable
-	Fee elements:	Fee elements:	Fee elements:	Fee elements:	Fee elements:	Fee elements:	Fee elements:	Fee elements:
To qualify for	100% Tuition Fees	100% Tuition Fees	100% Tuition Fees	100% Tuition Fees	100% Tuition Fees	50% Tuition Fees	Tuition Fees — Not payable	Tuition Fees — Not payable
-	100% Student Contribution	100% Student Contribution	100% Student Contribution	100% Student Contribution	100% Student Contribution	100% Student Contribution	50% Student Contribution	50% Student Contribution — Not payable
-	Field Trip	Field Trip	Field Trip	Field Trip	Field Trip	Field Trip — Not payable	Field Trip — Not Payable	Field Trip — Not payable
-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Postgraduate Fee Contribution:
No. of dependent children	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	Payable
Less than 4	€22,703	€39,875	€40,970	€43,380	€45,790	€49,840	€54,240	€31,500
4 — 7	€22,703	€43,810	€45,025	€47,670	€50,325	€54,765	€59,595	€34,615
8 or more	€22,703	€47,575	€48,890	€51,760	€54,630	€59,455	€64,700	€37,580

Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table A for Maintenance and Fee Grants — Table B**

+ increment for each additional relevant person

€0

+ €4,830

+ €4,670

+ €4,830

+ €4,980

*To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance an applicant’s reckonable income on 31 December 2012 must include an eligible payment listed in Schedule 2.

**Increments which may be applied to the relevant income limits: