Finian McGrath
Ceist:364 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if the maximum advice and practical support for a person (details supplied) will be given to ensure that they receive a grant as a matter of priority. [25297/03]
Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.
The third level student support schemes operated under the aegis of my Department provide a means tested grant to students who are pursuing their first undergraduate or postgraduate course and who comply with the terms and conditions of the scheme.
The higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992. These Acts define a mature student to mean a person "of not less than 23 years of age, or such other age as may stand specified for the time being in regulations made by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, who have secured places in approved institutions and have reached that age on the 1st day of January, or such other date as may be prescribed from time to time by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, in the year of entry to such institutions".
Under the terms and conditions of the student support schemes, 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-guardians from 1 October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are assessed without reference to either their parents-guardians income or address.
When assessing the means of students other than independent mature students, the schemes specify that the students' means and those of their parents-guardians must be below a prescribed limit. This provision requires that the parents' income be taken into account, irrespective of the individual circumstances in any case where the student is not an independent mature student.
It is not possible to depart from the terms of the schemes in individual cases, such as that referred to by the Deputy.