Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 April 2022
121. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of extending the income threshold increase announced as part of budget 2022 to the special rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21379/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance to 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.
In assessing an application for the 2022/23 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant:
1. The student must qualify for the standard rate of grant;
2. Total gross reckonable income for the 2021 tax year, after income disregards and Child Dependent Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €24,500; and
3. As at 31st December 2021, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2022.
The report of the Action Group on Access to Third Level Education made detailed recommendations concerning the introduction of special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students. The target group of "those most in need" was defined in terms of the dependents of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the necessary conditions are fulfilled.
Accordingly, to effectively target this cohort, the income limit for the special rate of grant is aligned to the maximum point of the weekly State Contributory Pension plus the maximum Qualified Adult Allowance for a person over 66 years. The student grant means test for 2022 is based on gross reckonable income for the 2021 tax year.
The income threshold for the special rate of grant is strategically aligned with the highest Department of Social Protection rate as described in order to target students from households in receipt of long term social welfare assistance effectively. The income threshold changes when this Department of Social Protection rate changes so the estimate that the Deputy is requesting is not possible to provide.
However, as the Deputy may be aware I did increase the special rate of grant payment itself by €200 as part of Budget 2022, along with all other student grant rates. For the 2022/23 academic year, the special rate of grant is payable at the non-adjacent rate of €6,115 or the adjacent rate of €2,575, depending on the distance the student is from the college attended.
