Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2021
500. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the special maintenance rate is confined to students whose parents are in receipt of the working family payment or long-term social welfare payments; and if there a gross income test also effective under which students from low-income families can qualify. [47533/21]
View answerThe decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for SUSI to determine. In assessing an application for the 2021/22 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant: 1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant;
2. Total reckonable income, after income disregards and Child Dependant Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €24,500;3. As at 31st of December 2020, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2021.
There are over 40 eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme that include such payments as the One Parent Family Payment, Carer's Allowance, Disability Allowance, Farm Assist and Jobseekers Allowance and Benefit where held for a specified period of time. A student may qualify for the special rate of grant provided that a party to the student grant application (which in the case of a dependent student it includes his/her parents and the student themselves) is in receipt of one of the prescribed payments and the applicant meets the other conditions of the special rate of grant.
The student grant scheme contains a number of qualifying thresholds for various grant values. Therefore, students who do not qualify for the special rate of grant may qualify for a different rate based on gross reckonable income.
The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. To take forward this commitment I established a review of the Student Grant Scheme. This review is currently underway, and being conducted by Indecon Economic Consultants, under the direction of a steering group chaired by my Department and comprising a number of stakeholders.
It is anticipated that the review will be completed later this year and will inform future priorities regarding the development of student grant policy, including in the context of forthcoming Estimates process for 2022.
Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be available in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student's local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie
