Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1484. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated full-year cost of increasing the maintenance grants for both undergraduate and postgraduate to €1,500 per month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41489/22]
View answerThe main support to students attending higher education is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the Student Grant Scheme, eligible candidates may receive funding, provided they are attending an approved course at an approved institution and meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment (progression) and means.
Under the scheme, students must be attending approved full-time courses. All full-time undergraduate and post-graduate students who meet the criteria under the Student Grant Scheme are in receipt of a grant.
The student grant scheme also provides for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home.
The estimated full-year cost of increasing the maintenance grant rates to €1,500 per month across all 2022/23 maintenance band rates would cost in the region of €600 million. This estimate is based on the number of students who received a maintenance grant for the 2021/22 academic year.
