Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
701. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has given any consideration to relaxing the residency requirements of being in the State, European Union, United Kingdom or Switzerland for three of the past five years for Irish citizens applying for a SUSI grant, given the international travel restrictions caused by Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37251/22]
View answerUnder the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
With regard to the residency criterion, in order to be eligible for a grant, a "student", as defined in Section 14 of the Student Support Act 2011, must demonstrate that he/she has been resident in the State for at least three years out of the five year period ending on the day before the start of his/her approved course of study. Similar and in some cases more restrictive residency criteria apply in other member States e.g. in the UK a student has to be resident for the three years immediately preceding his/her commencement in college.The three out of five year rule takes cognisance of students who wish to take time out to travel or work abroad. Such students can still meet the residency requirement if they have not been outside the State for more than two of the previous five years.It is also possible for students, who did not meet the residency requirement at the commencement of their studies, to have their eligibility reviewed if they meet the residency requirement during the course of their studies.
Alternatively a tuition student who meets the residency requirement in a Member State, the EEA or Switzerland and satisfies the nationality requirements may be eligible for a fee grant.
