Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 July 2022
432. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to decrease the qualifying criteria for the non-adjacent rate of the SUSI grant from 30 km to 24 km; the estimated cost involved in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38633/22]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, in Budget 2022 I reduced the qualifying distance criterion for students to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 45km to 30km to support students who must travel long-distances to their place of education. These changes will come into effect from the start of the 2022/23 academic year.
The adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in the case of students whose normal residence is 30km or less from the approved institution which he or she is attending. The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in all other cases.
Further decreases in the qualifying distance will be considered in the context of Budget 2023 and the recommendations from the review of the Student Grant Scheme.
In relation to the estimated cost involved in 2023, this is a complex matter given a variety of factors and I am advised that SUSI, the awarding authority, who have details of current applicants' distances, will correspond directly with the Deputy's office in the coming weeks with estimated costings.
