Vol. 546 No. 1
178 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to the newly announced top-up grant for students who are receiving maintenance grants in third level education, the items taken into account as means when assessing a person for this grant. [31266/01]
The report of the action group on access to third level education makes detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students. The action group considered that the target group of 'those most in need' could best be defined in terms of the child dependants of those receiving long-term welfare payments, in respect of whom continued child dependant allowance is being paid, by virtue of their being in full-time education, that is, child dependants in the age group 18 to 22.
The action group recommended that the special rates of maintenance grant should also be available to mature students, that is students aged 23 and over, subject to specific conditions. The condition relating to means, for all applicants, states that, for the purpose of the current academic year, total reckonable income, in the tax year to 5 April 2001, must not exceed £7,400. In this regard, reckonable income equals gross income less the standard social welfare and health board payments excluded for the ordinary maintenance grant, less, where applicable, social welfare child dependent allowance payments. I will arrange for my Department to forward to the Deputy full details of the eligibility criteria for the special rates of maintenance grant.
