Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 November 2013
72. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to extending mature student status to persons who may have begun third level education before the age of 23, when their parents' means were taken into consideration for assessment, but have since continued further study and have been living independently for several years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48491/13]
View answerFor student grants purposes, a student may be assessed as an independent student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved higher education course or of re-entry to an approved course 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.
I have no plans at present to change the current arrangements.
