Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2021
147. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the way the distances for adjacent and non-adjacent third-level SUSI grants are set; his plans for a review of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26993/21]
View answerThe Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance to eligible students attending an approved course at an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
Student maintenance grants are payable at either the adjacent or non-adjacent rate. The distance to be measured is the shortest non-tolled most direct route from the student’s residence to the institution attended. The adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in the case of a student whose normal residence is 45km or less from the approved institution which he or she is attending. The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in all other cases.
The current qualifying distance threshold of more than 45km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant, takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis.
The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. The review, which commenced earlier this year, will examine eligibility criteria such as: income thresholds; postgraduate supports; grant values and adjacency rates. It anticipated that the review will be completed later this year and will inform future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.
