Gary Gannon
Question:300. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if grant thresholds are being extended; and if the registration fee has been considered for abolition (details supplied). [8220/20]
View answerWednesday, 27 May 2020
Questions (300)
Written answers
SUSI’s online application process for student grant applications for the 2020/21 academic year opened on 23rd April, 2020. Students are advised to submit their renewal student grant application as soon as possible. The priority closing dates for the 2020/21 academic year are the 11th June 2020 for renewal applicants and the 9th July 2020 for new applicants.
Further information in relation to student grant assistance is available from SUSI’s website, www.susi.ie. The telephone number for SUSI’s Helpdesk is 0761 087 874.
The income threshold for the special rate of grant has been increased from €24,000 to €24,500 for the 2020 scheme, so as to ensure that students from families dependent on welfare will continue to be eligible for the special rate of grant. (This reflects the Budget 2019 increase to the maximum point of the weekly State Contributory Pension, plus maximum Qualified Adult Allowance for a person over 66 years).
Under my Department’s free fees schemes, the Exchequer provides funding toward the tuition fee costs of eligible students with students paying the student contribution which stands at €3,000 since 2014/2015. It is important to recognise that the exchequer pays this contribution (or part of it) on behalf of almost 50% of eligible undergraduate students as part of the student support grant.
The projected financial impact of Covid19 on Higher Education and the Tertiary Education system as a whole is being assessed by the Department of Education and Skills as part of its ongoing analysis of the impact of Covid19 on the education sector overall. The provision of additional financial support to support Tertiary Education to ensure that it can contribute fully to economic recovery and to meeting priority skill needs will be examined in the context of overall expenditure management and budgetary policy. The Department will continue to engage with key stakeholders to safeguard the recovery of the tertiary education sector.
The Student contribution position will also form part of the comprehensive economic review currently underway under the European Commission DG Reform’s Structural Reform Support Programme on Increasing the Future Sustainability of Higher and Further Education Provision in Ireland. The review encompasses the review of the funding options for higher education included in the 2016 (Cassells) Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding of Higher Education. The study is scheduled to be substantially complete in Q4 2020.
Question No. 301 answered with Question No. 109.
Question No. 302 answered with Question No. 123.