Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:1039 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will investigate the reason an application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork for a higher education grant has been refused. [21377/01]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
Under the terms of the third level student support schemes, a candidate's reckonable income for the purposes of the award of a grant is the candidate's gross income from all sources and that of his-her parents or guardians, where applicable, less certain social welfare and health board payments which are excluded from the calculation of income. Inquiries have been made with County Cork VEC regarding the student in question and my Department understands that the reckonable income in this case exceeds the limits set down in the relevant higher education grants scheme and that, accordingly, the student is ineligible for grant assistance.
Apart from the funding provided by my Department through the free fees initiative and the maintenance grants schemes, financial support is also available to students attending approved third level colleges through my Department's student assistance/access fund and the special fund for students with disabilities. The objective of the student assistance/access fund is to assist students in a sensitive and compassionate matter, who might otherwise, due to their financial circumstances, be unable to continue their third level studies. The purpose of the special fund is to provide students with serious physical and/or sensory disabilities with grant assistance towards the cost of special equipment, special materials and technological aids, targeted transport services, personal assistants and sign language interpreters. Information on these funds is available from the access officer and the disability officer, respectively, in the institution attended by the student.