Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to 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.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
The qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant in the 2023/24 academic year as specified under the Student Grant Scheme 2023 is as follows:
1. Student must qualify for the standard rate of grant;
2. Total reckonable income (net of income disregards and Child Dependant Increase) must not exceed €25,000, and
3. As at 31st December, 2022, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.
The report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education made detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students. The target group of "those most in need" was defined in terms of the dependents of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the necessary conditions are fulfilled. Illness Benefit is considered to be a short-term social welfare payment and, therefore, it is not included as an eligible payment for the purposes of the special rate of maintenance grant.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant). Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.
With regard to the specific applications, I have been advised by my officials that the students to whom the Deputy refers were awarded the Full Non-Adjacent Standard Rate Band 1 of Maintenance Grant, together with 100% Student Contribution/Tuition Fees, whichever applies by the awarding authority (SUSI). As there was no income from an eligible payment on 31st December 2022, the applicants were not eligible for the Special Rate of maintenance grant under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme 2023. The students in question have not appealed this decision to SUSI.
Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education, including approved undergraduate and postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.
