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Student Grant Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2019

Tuesday, 28 May 2019

Ceisteanna (103, 104, 105)

Mick Barry

Ceist:

103. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students in receipt of an adjacent SUSI grant for students living at least 45 km away from the location where they study in the 2018-19 academic year; and the number of students in higher education in the same academic year. [22582/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mick Barry

Ceist:

104. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students in receipt of an adjacent SUSI grant for students living at least 24 km away from the location where they studied in the 2010-11 academic year; and the number of students in higher education in the same academic year. [22583/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Mick Barry

Ceist:

105. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of reversing the budget 2011 decision to increase the SUSI grant non-adjacency qualifying distance from 24 km to 45 km. [22584/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 to 105, inclusive, together.

The student maintenance grant is a contribution towards the living costs of a student. It is not intended to cover the full costs of attending college. The student grant scheme does however, provide for different levels of maintenance support, depending on means. Grants are also provided at adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The higher non-adjacent rates are intended to provide additional support to those students who may be living away from home.

Budget 2011 provided for a number of student grant measures which came into effect for the 2011/12 academic year, including the change in the assessment of the qualifying distance criterion for the non-adjacent rate of grant from 24 kilometres to 45 kilometres.

The 24km distance criterion was originally set in 1968 and had not been updated in more than 40 years. Since then, significant improvements have taken place in the road and rail network and it is considered that the revised distance criteria is more consistent with the type of distances that students may legitimately be expected to commute to college.

The current qualifying distance of 45km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis.

The data for the 2018/19 academic year is currently being finalised. However, according to the Higher Education Authority, there were 159,823 full-time undergraduate students in HEA supported higher education institutions for the 2017/18 academic year, of which 77,430 were grant holders with 62,946 undergraduate students in receipt of a maintenance grant. In 2017/18, 52% of maintenance grant holders qualified for the non-adjacent rate and 48% for the adjacent rate.

In relation to the 2010/11 academic year, there were 161,361 full-time undergraduate students in HEA supported higher education institutions, of which 71,532 were grant holders with 53,226 undergraduate students in receipt of a maintenance grant. In 2010/11, 77% were in receipt of the non-adjacent rate of grant and 23% were in receipt of the adjacent rate of grant.

The cost of reversing the change to the distance criteria in the Student Grant is estimated to be in the region of €26m.

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