Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 June 2013
119. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider amending the application process for student maintenance grants to make it more flexible for a third level student under the age of 23 years who wishes to apply in their own right for a grant because they are not financially dependent on their parents. [31149/13]
View answerFor student grants purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1 October. Otherwise he/she would continue to be assessed on the basis of his/her parents' income.
In recognition of the fact that a student under 23 yeas of age can be estranged from his/her parents, it is possible under the student grant scheme, as an exceptional measure, for such a candidate to be assessed without reference to his/her parents/guardians income or address.
However, compelling independent evidence of estrangement must be provided to the grant awarding authority to enable this. The type of independent evidence includes a letter from a social worker or other appropriate officer of the Health Service Executive explaining the circumstances of the estrangement. Confirmation that a candidate is living separately from his/her parents/guardians is not sufficient.
I have no plans at present to change the eligibility arrangements in respect of students under the age of 23 who apply for a student grant.
