Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
797. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students who had their SUSI grant funding withdrawn from them mid-academic year in each of the past five years and to date in 2021. [41506/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Student Grant Scheme is the principal support for students in financial terms by my Department. It provides grant assistance to eligible students attending approved full-time courses in approved further or higher educational institutions who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria of the relevant scheme.
The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the national student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), a business unit of CDETB. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
During the academic year, new information can come to SUSI’s attention which results in a student who was awarded funding being found to be ineligible. There are a number of reasons why this can occur including for example:
- An applicant does not register with their intended institution and so does not begin or attend their intended higher or further education course.
- An applicant registers for a different course to the course that was previously awarded e.g. an applicant was initially awarded to an approved course but is now attending a part-time course or private college or an applicant was initially awarded to a course which sees them progress in their education but is now attending a course at the same or lower level as previously attended.
- An applicant was awarded a fees grant only for a course within Ireland and is now attending a course overseas or a PLC course within the state where fee grants are not payable.
- An applicant is not progressing to the year of the course that the grant was awarded to.
- A renewal applicant confirms no change to their eligibility from the previous academic year on the application form but a change is subsequently found e.g. reckonable income is found to have increased.
The number of students who had their SUSI grant funding withdrawn from them mid-academic year in each of the past five years and to date in 2021 is as follows.
Academic Year 2021/22
For the current academic year the application process for 2021-22 is still open. However, I can confirm that as of 5th September 2021, SUSI had received just over 88,000 applications and assessed just over 59,700 with just over 51,900 qualifying for grant support.
Academic Year 2020/21
SUSI received over 100,000 applications in academic year 2020/21. Of these, 2,154 students who were initially awarded funding for academic year 2020/21 were found to be ineligible for funding during the academic year.
Academic Year 2019/20
SUSI received over 96,000 applications in academic year 2019/20. Of these, 1,807 students who were initially awarded funding for academic year 2019/20 were found to be ineligible for funding during the academic year.
Academic Year 2018/19
SUSI received almost 99,000 applications in academic year 2018/19. Of these, 1,838 students who were initially awarded funding for academic year 2018/19 were found to be ineligible for funding during the academic year.
Academic Year 2017/18
SUSI received over 103,000 applications in academic year 2017/18. Of these, 1,919 students who were initially awarded funding for academic year 2017/18 were found to be ineligible for funding during the academic year.
Academic Year 2016/17
SUSI received over 105,000 applications in academic year 2016/17. Of these, 1,766 students who were initially awarded funding for academic year 2016/17 were found to be ineligible for funding during the academic year.
