Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 June 2022
176. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of increasing the non-adjacent maintenance grant by €1,000 to €4,225 for full-time students at undergraduate and postgraduate-level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28498/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Student Grant Scheme, which is administered by SUSI on behalf of my department, is demand led and as such the numbers applying each year can change for reasons such as demographics and the expansion and extension of alternative educational opportunities. It is therefore not possible to consider the number of new applicant's who may apply for supports under the student grant scheme in any given year.
However, to date for the academic year, 2021/22, 16,018 awards have been made by SUSI to students who were eligible for a full non-adjacent maintenance grant rate of €3,225 ( based on 22/23 rates). If all of those students were to see their grant increased by €1,000 to €4,225, the estimated cost for full-time students at undergraduate and postgraduate level is in the region of €16.01m.
