Róisín Shortall
Ceist:595 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to bring third level grant rules and rates in line with social welfare rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16183/02]
Written Answers. - Higher Education 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:
(a) The higher education grants scheme
(b) The vocational education committees' scholarship scheme
(c) The third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees
In relation to the value of the grant, the practice in recent years has been to increase the level of maintenance grants annually at least in line with inflation. This year, in line with this policy, I announced increases of 5% in the rates of maintenance grant. The reference value for inflation is the annual percentage increase in the CPI to mid-February 2002. The increase of 5% in grant rates for 2002-03 was higher than the reference value, which was 4.7%.
Similarly, my approach was to follow the practice of recent years and increase the reckonable income limits in line with movements in the average industrial wage in the previous year. I approved an increase of 7% in the reckonable income limits for the 2002-03 academic year. This exceeded the increase in the average industrial wage for the period March 2000 to March 2001, which was 6.7%. I also increased by 15% the allowance by which the income limits may be increased in respect of other family members pursuing a course of study, in line with the commitment in the June 2002 programme for government.
Some 37% of third level students qualify for maintenance grants. Accordingly, any proposal that student grants be brought in line with social welfare payments for the unemployed would give rise to considerable cost, and could only be considered having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the education sector.
I am, however, at present conducting a review of student support provisions aimed at ensuring that the benefits of the €360 million investment being made are maximised in the context of the Government's objectives for achieving greater access to third level education among lower socio-economic groups.
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:596 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science the reasons a student residing away from home during the full academic year is assessed fully on his or her parental income though they may derive little if any benefit from it during this time; his plans to address this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16184/02]
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:
(a) The higher education grants scheme
(b) The vocational education committees' scholarship scheme
(c) The third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees
The higher education grant scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts, 1968 to 1992. Under these Acts a mature student is defined as a person of not less than 23 years of age on 1 January in the year of entry to an approved third level institution.
Under the terms of the higher education grants scheme, mature students are categorised as either independent mature students or mature students dependent on parents. An independent mature student is defined to mean a mature student who was not ordinarily resident at home with his or her parents from the October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are assessed without reference to either their parents income or address.
When assessing the means of students other that independent mature students, the schemes specify that the students means and those of their parents or guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that parental income be taken into account in any case where the student is not an independent mature student.
Similar provisions apply in relation to the vocational education committees' scholarship scheme and the third level maintenance grants scheme for trainees.
Any revision in the terms of the maintenance grants schemes would have to be considered in the light of available financial resources and other competing demands in the education sector.