Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 October 2013
78. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons Student Universal Support Ireland awarded just €2,000 fees to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42887/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been awarded a postgraduate fee contribution of €2,000 and an award letter issued on 26 September 2013. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme 2013 postgraduate students who meet the qualifying conditions for the special rate of grant under the Student Grant Scheme will be eligible to have their post-graduate tuition fees paid up to the maximum fee limit of €6,270. To qualify for the special rate of grant an applicant must meet the following conditions: 1. Reckonable income must not exceed €22,703; 2. On the 31st December of the relevant period the reckonable income must include an eligible long-term social welfare payment prescribed under the scheme. A postgraduate student may qualify to have a €2,000 contribution made towards the costs of their fees. The income threshold for this payment is €31,500 for the 2013/14 academic year, increasing relative to the number of family dependents. Tax relief is also available on postgraduate tuition fees. Details in relation to this relief are available from the Revenue Commissioners. In addition to this, the Student Assistance Fund will continue to be made available through the access offices of third-level institutions to assist students in exceptional financial need. If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by SUSI, and remains of the view that SUSI has not interpreted the scheme correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the Student Grant Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form is available to download from www.studentfinance.ie.
