Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 October 2013
198. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if, in order to enable persons to fill out a student grant application form properly, he will introduce a third category for mature students who live at home but are not financially dependent on their parents, who share bills equally but do not have any bills in their name; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41856/13]
View answerA student can complete his/her grant application online on the SUSI website, which will guide the student through the process. Before completing the application a student should read the Guidance Notes in relation to "Category of Applicant". This information will enable the student to determine which category applies to him/her.
For 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. There are no plans at present to change the current arrangements.
