Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2021
103. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to address an anomaly in the SUSI grant scheme in circumstances in which a student applies initially as a dependent of their parents but subsequently gains a council tenancy and lives independently of their family. [26711/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra146. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if an anomaly in the SUSI grant scheme will be addressed in circumstances in which a student applies initially as a dependent of their parents but subsequently gets married during the period of their third-level education but is still assessed as a dependent of their parents. [26710/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 146 together.
The purpose of the student Grant Scheme is to provide additional assistance where parental income is below a certain threshold, or in the case of independent mature students, where the level of income of the student and his or her spouse warrants additional assistance by way of a grant.
The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).
For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, he/she would be assessed as a dependent student, i.e. assessed with reference to parental income and address.
A student’s status for grant purposes is defined at their first point of entry to an approved further or higher education course or at their point of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and continues to apply for the duration of their studies.
However, there are points at which a student may reclassify from a dependent student to an independent student. These are where he/she:
- Progresses from further education to higher education;
- Is returning following a 3 year break in studies; or
- Is returning as a "second chance" student after a five year break in studies.
Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student.
Separately, the Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. It is anticipated that the SUSI review will be completed later this year and will inform policy priorities for the next Estimates process and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.
