Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 September 2022
424. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide an update on the recent review of SUSI; when changes will be implemented; if students who were refused a SUSI grant for September will be able to apply again under the new criteria if such changes are implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44947/22]
View answerThe review of the Student Grants Scheme was published on the 4th May 2022 and makes a number of recommendations on issues including the rates of grant, income thresholds, adjacency criteria, part-time learning and postgraduate support.
I have already instigated improvements to the student grant scheme in Budget 2022. For the academic year 2022/23:-
- There has been 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 has been increased by €1,000;
- The qualifying distance criterion for students to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant has been reduced from 45km to 30km.
I also 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 independent Review of the Student Grant Scheme was a very important commitment in the Programme for Government and will help shape decision-making on how we support students over the years to come. The issues raised in the Review are subject to consideration by my Department as part of the ongoing budget process.
On 5th of September, in advance of the Budget, I published, for the first time, an annual options paper on reducing the cost of education which sets out possible policy options, and their indicative costs.
The paper “Funding the Future, an annual options paper on reducing the cost of higher education can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/28c9d-funding-the-future-an-annual-options-paper-on-reducing-the-cost-of-higher-education/.
At this time it is not possible to pre-empt the outcome of Budget 2023 and any measures which may follow. As is usual with Budget announcements all details of measures impacting my Department and, if applicable, how they will apply will be made available as soon as possible on/after budget day.
