Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
1110. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 671 of 24 February 2021, the breakdown by county or university on the students who initially qualified for the SUSI grant but subsequently had their grants withdrawn from them this academic year. [14241/21]
View answer1111. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 671 of 24 February 2021, if SUSI is seeking payments from any student who was initially awarded a SUSI grant but subsequently had their grant withdrawn from them upon review; and the number of students who have been requested to repay moneys to SUSI. [14242/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1110 and 1111 together.
To date, 2,050 students who were initially awarded funding for academic year 2020/21 have since become ineligible for funding by SUSI. Please note, this number is subject to change as operations for academic year 2020/21 are ongoing.
SUSI has sought or is seeking repayments from 237 of the 2,050 students. Please note that this number is subject to change as operations for academic year 2020/21 are ongoing.
The withdrawal of awarded funding can occur for various reasons and in some cases, repayment is sought from students who received a payment before their grant was withdrawn and where the student is not eligible to receive the payment. New information brought to SUSI’s attention, which was not included in the original application of 222 of the 237 students, resulted in the students being deemed ineligible for funding.
The income of 179 of the 237 students was found to exceed the reckonable income limits outlined in the Student Support Scheme 2020; 25 students did not meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the Student Support Act 2011 and Student Support Scheme 2020; 15 students are repeating a year and so are not progressing in their education; 12 students are in receipt of Back to Education Allowance and so are not eligible for a maintenance grant and 6 students are attending courses which are not approved Under the Student Support Scheme 2020.
SUSI is obliged under the legislation outlined in the Student Support Act 2011 and subsequent annual schemes to seek repayments.
Please see below breakdown by county based on the student’s home address:
|
County |
No. of Students |
|
Carlow |
23 |
|
Cavan |
45 |
|
Clare |
63 |
|
Cork |
236 |
|
Donegal |
78 |
|
Dublin |
493 |
|
Galway |
154 |
|
Kerry |
61 |
|
Kildare |
81 |
|
Kilkenny |
37 |
|
Laois |
58 |
|
Leitrim |
14 |
|
Limerick |
84 |
|
Longford |
23 |
|
Louth |
84 |
|
Mayo |
75 |
|
Meath |
77 |
|
Monaghan |
26 |
|
Offaly |
35 |
|
Roscommon |
46 |
|
Sligo |
46 |
|
Tipperary |
66 |
|
Waterford |
39 |
|
Westmeath |
29 |
|
Wexford |
33 |
|
Wicklow |
29 |
|
Home address outside the State |
7 |
