Written answers

Tuesday, 20 November 2007

Department of Education and Science

Higher Education Grants

8:00 pm

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 406: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of staff employed in each VEC handling higher education grant applications; the number of grants awarded by each VEC in 2006; the number refused; and the average time it takes each VEC to award grants when the forms are completed in full. [29295/07]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department funds four maintenance grant schemes for third level and further education students. These are the Higher Education Grants Scheme, the Vocational Education Committees' Scholarships Scheme, the Third Level Maintenance Grants Scheme for Trainees and the Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses. The Higher Education Grants Scheme is administered by the local authorities. The other three schemes are administered by the Vocational Education Committees.

The most recent information available to my Department from the VEC sector indicates that approximately 75 whole-time equivalent staff are involved in the administration of the VEC grant scheme.

My Department carried out a survey of the 66 local authorities and VECs early in 2007 in respect of the status of applications for student grants for the academic year 2006/07 as at mid-January 2007. The survey indicated that over 37,000 applications had been received, of which less than 10% had been refused.

In relation to the number of students receiving financial assistance under the student support schemes, the most recent figures show that over 56,000 students benefited under the schemes in 2006/07, of which approximately 13,200 benefited from the special rate of maintenance grant in addition to the basic maintenance grant.

The process of assessing eligibility for third level or further education grants is a matter for the relevant local authority or VEC. Even where application forms are completed in full, further clarification may need to be sought in order to verify that the terms and conditions of the grant schemes are met, including those relating to means, residency, nationality or a candidate's previous academic achievements. It is not possible, therefore, to indicate the average time it takes an assessing body to award a grant.

I plan to introduce a single unified scheme of maintenance grants for students and to consolidate the administration of this unified grants scheme in the VEC sector. This will, I believe, provide for a more coherent administrative system. The scheme, which will be underpinned by a new Student Support Bill, will facilitate consistency of application, improved client accessibility and timely delivery of grants.

The Student Support Bill is at an advanced stage of preparation, and I hope to be in a position to publish it shortly.

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