Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the status of the higher education grant application for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford referred to her Department by County Wexford Vocational Educational Committee; when a decision will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37328/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The higher education grants scheme operates under the Local Authorities (Higher Education Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992. These Acts define a mature student to mean a person of not less than 23 years of age, or such other age as may stand specified for the time being in regulations made by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, who have secured places in approved institutions and have reached that age on the first day of January, or such other date as may be prescribed from time to time by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance, in the year of entry to such institutions.

Mature students are categorised as either independent mature students or mature students dependent on parents. An independent mature student is defined to mean a mature student who was not ordinarily resident at home with his or her parents from the October preceding their entry to an approved course. Independent mature students are assessed without reference to either their parents' income or address.

In order to establish that a candidate is an independent mature student documentary evidence is required as proof of a candidate's ordinary or permanent address from 1 October of the year preceding entry to college. Examples of documentary evidence required include telephone, gas or ESB bills.

The awarding authorities are obliged to satisfy themselves beyond doubt that an acceptable degree of proof is submitted by the grant applicant in establishing eligibility under all aspects of the schemes. To date the evidence submitted regarding independent status is not sufficient.