Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 October 2023
373. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to reform the SUSI grant programme to better accommodate students who are estranged and or independent from their parents/guardians (details supplied); and if he will review these criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45807/23]
View answerThe 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.
For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students. A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if they have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course and is not ordinarily resident with their parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, they will be assessed as a dependent student, i.e., assessed with reference to parental income and address.
However, there are points at which a student may reclassify from a dependent student to an independent student, namely where they:
• Progress from further education to higher education.
• Are returning following a 3 year break in studies.
• Are returning as a “second chance" student after a five year break in studies.
The scheme does not stipulate precisely how an awarding authority satisfies itself that such circumstances prevail. This is to allow the awarding authority sufficient flexibility to assess the evidence of irrevocable estrangement in each individual case. The type of documentary evidence required is dependent on the applicant's individual circumstances.
We will keep this matter under review and will assess this going forward.
