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, usually referred to as "top-up" grants. The action group considered that the target group of "those most in need" could best be defined in terms of the child dependants of people 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.
To qualify for the special rate of maintenance grant a candidate must meet a number of conditions, one of which is that he or she must already qualify for one of my Department's ordinary maintenance grants. My Department funds three means-tested maintenance grant schemes for third level education students in respect of attendance on approved courses in approved third level institutions and one grant scheme in respect of post-leaving certificate courses: – the higher education grants scheme; the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme; the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees and Maintenance grants scheme for students attending post-leaving certificate – PLC – courses.
All four schemes have similar provisions, relating, for example, to residency and means, which govern the award of a grant.
Where a student is already in receipt of a grant under one of these schemes, he or she may apply to the relevant local authority or VEC for the special rate of grant. Decisions on applications are taken by these bodies, based on the conditions and terms issued by my Department. These bodies do not refer individual applications to my Department except, in exceptional cases, where, for example, advice or instruction regarding a particular condition is desired.