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Grant Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 May 2022

Tuesday, 10 May 2022

Questions (603)

Carol Nolan

Question:

603. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the projected impact and cost implications to the Exchequer of increasing the third level student earning cap from €4,500 to €5,500; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23023/22]

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Written answers

The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), provides grant assistance to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally. Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period.

The means test takes into consideration the income of the applicant and his/her parents/legal guardian or spouse as appropriate. Further information regarding class of applicant (independent or dependent) and the types of documentation accepted as evidence of living independently from parents is available from SUSI’s website: susi.ie/eligibility/applicant-class/. 

Under Article 22(5)(b) of the Student Grant Scheme 2021, income from an applicant’s employment which represents holiday earnings outside of term time but within the reference period up to a maximum of €4,500 can be deducted from the total reckonable income assessed.  (Data for 2020/21 with the pre pandemic reference period of 2019 is included.)

Where an increase of €1,000 is applied to Holiday Earnings to take it from €4,500 to €5,500

- 366  students would benefit from a rate increase in 2020/21 amounting to approx. €301,677

- 270 students would benefit from a rate increase in 2021/22 to date amounting to approx. €233,568

Please note the above are approximate figures and while the above students had additional earnings bringing them between €4,500 and €5,500, it cannot be confirmed that these additional earnings would qualify as Holiday Earnings. They may have been earned during term time Also there are students who may have additional earnings between €4,500 and €5,500, but who do not feature in the data above as it would not lead to a rate change/improved rate of funding.

It is also the case that the figures provided cannot account for changes in behaviour. For example, some applicants may currently limit their Holiday Earnings to €4,500 but might increase this to €5,500 if the holiday earnings limit were increased.

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