Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 May 2022
594. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his plans to increase the student grant scheme to offset the rise in living costs that are being experienced by students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22812/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am very aware of the impact the cost of living and in particular the cost of accommodation has on students and the challenges students are facing. The impact of the rising costs for students was highlighted in the recently launched independent report, the Review of the Student Grant scheme commissioned by my Department.
The Student Grant Scheme provides grant assistance to eligible students attending an approved full-time course in an approved further or higher educational institution who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria of the relevant scheme.
Significant additional Funding has been made available to support students under recent budgets and through the Return to Education Packages for 2020 and 2021. The principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme, which assists more than 70,000 students annually to access third level education. The budgetary provision for the Student Grant Scheme in 2021 is €364.5m.
As part of the overall funding secured for the third level sector to safely reopen in September 2021, an additional €10m is available for the 2021/2022 academic year, providing a doubling of the core Student Assistance Fund bringing the total funding to €17.2m. The Covid Contingency Fund for Access Services of €1.9m has also being continued for a further year.
The special rates of maintenance grants for disadvantaged students is a higher rate of grant which targets "those most in need", which is defined in terms of the dependants of people receiving long-term welfare payments, where the conditions are fulfilled. 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 from ordinary residence to the college attended.
As part of Budget 2022, I secured an additional €15m to enhance the existing financial supports under the Student Grant Scheme for implementation in 2022.
For the academic year 2022/23 this will mean:
- An increase to all student grant maintenance payments, including the special rate of grant, of €200 per year which will benefit all students entitled to receive a maintenance Grant.
- The income thresholds to qualify for the standard rates of student grant have been increased by €1,000.
- The qualifying distance criterion for students to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant has been reduced from 45km to 30km, effective from the start of the 2022/23 academic year.
I have prioritised these changes for the 2022/23 academic year and they will benefit thousands of students building on the improvements that have already been made for postgraduate students through this year’s student grant scheme.
The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including student grants, are considered in the context of the annual Budget. I intend to implement, in a phased way, the recommendations of the Student Grant Scheme review in the context of successive annual Estimates processes. However this will be dependent on the availability of resources to his Department and overall consideration of Budgetary and Ministerial priorities.
This summer in advance of the Estimates process, I intend to publish a paper outlining potential options and impacts, to be considered in the Budgetary process, related to the Student Grant scheme and other programmes related to student supports and costs of higher education, including with respect to those priorities identified in the Student Grant Scheme Review.
Students experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
