Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2024
801. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if a person (details supplied) can avail of any further SUSI supports; if so, what assistance can be provided for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10331/24]
View answerUnder 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, progression, 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.
To satisfy the terms and conditions of the scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.
Generally speaking, a grant will not be paid to a student for a repeat period of study on the same course, or for a different course at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid previously. The objective of this policy is to help as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study.
Notwithstanding this, under Article 15(8) of the Student Grant Scheme 2023, the awarding authority SUSI has discretion to award a grant for a repeat period of study in exceptional circumstances, such as serious certified illness, which impacted on a student completing a particular period of study or undertaking exams in line with guidelines drawn up by the Minister.
SUSI treats each application for repeat funding on a case-by-case basis and it is it is a matter for the individual student to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the awarding authority that there were exceptional circumstances.
My officials have advised me that the student referred to by the Deputy applied to SUSI having previously attended years 1 and 2 of a level 8 course in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic years The student is now enrolled in year 1 of a different level 8 course in the 2023/2024 academic year.
A letter was sent to the student by SUSI on 27th September 2023 advising that their application had been refused and that they would be required to complete an equivalent period of study before being eligible for student grant funding.
If the applicant feels that they could not complete their previous course due to exceptional circumstances, they can contact the SUSI Support Desk by emailing support@susi.ie and request an Internal Review of their application on these grounds.
