Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 July 2022
24. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will outline measures to improve funding supports for students in further and higher education, including an update on the review of the SUSI grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36755/22]
View answerOn 4th May I launched the Funding the Future framework which sets out my intention to implement a progressive range of measures to address costs as a barrier to education alongside improving core funding for higher education, in the context of overall Budgetary decision-making.
This will include progressive implementation of the Student Grant Review.
This review makes a number of recommendations on issues including the rates of grant, income thresholds, eligibility criteria, complexity of the grant system, part-time learning and postgraduate support. It is my intention to progress measures to reduce the cost of education for students and families through changes to the Student Grant Scheme over time.
This will build on improvements I have already made to the student grant scheme over the past two Budgets including improvements to postgraduate supports in Budget 2021 and a range of changes for the coming academic year. From this coming September, there will be an increase to all student grant maintenance payments, including the special rate of grant, of €200 per year which will benefit all students entitled to receive a maintenance Grant. The income threshold to qualify for the standard rate of student grant will be increased by €1,000 and the qualifying distance criterion for students to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant will be reduced from 45km to 30km.
I also recently announced an increase to the amount of the holiday earnings income deduction in the 2023 Student Grant Scheme from €4,500 to €6,552. Students can now earn up to €6,552 during non-term time in 2022 without being concerned that it will affect their eligibility for a student grant in 2023.
I have also indicated that I want to see the student contribution in higher education reduced in a meaningful way over the course of future Budgets. I want this done in a way which does not negatively impact on the sustainable core funding for higher education.
My intention is that, prior to the Estimates, my Department will publish a cost of education paper, which will set out the available options to address student support and costs of education. It is my aim that this will inform public debate on the budgetary options available so that I can prioritise resources received as part of the Estimates process on the most impactful actions, and do so in a broad and fair way.
