Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 July 2022
26. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will confirm that the recent changes to SUSI in terms of student holiday earning will not kick in until application for the 2023/2024 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36794/22]
View answerI can confirm that I recently announced an increase to the amount of the holiday earnings income deduction 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 the academic year 2023/2024. The main support available to students is the Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland). The scheme provides maintenance and fee grant support for eligible 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. Reckonable income under the Student Grant Scheme is household income from all sources including income from a student’s employment. However, income from a student’s employment which represents holiday earnings outside of term time but within the reference period can be deducted from the total reckonable income assessed. When assessing reckonable income under the Student Grant Scheme it is the previous year’s income that is assessed. Therefore applications to the awarding authority (SUSI) for the academic year 2023/2024 are assessed based on household income earned in 2022 (1st January to 31st December 2022) so a change of this nature would be reflected in the Student Grant Scheme for 2023/2024 as it is only at that stage that SUSI would consider income that was earned in non-term time during 2022.
