P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 83: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will review a case of a person (details supplied) who is a full-time student and who has received no State assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34152/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Maintenance Grants Scheme for Students attending Post Leaving Certificate Courses is administered by the Vocational Education Committees on behalf of my Department. The candidate referred to by the Deputy should apply to her local VEC to establish her entitlement to a student grant for 2010/2011 academic year.

Under the terms of the schemes, grant assistance is awarded to students attending approved courses in an approved institution who meet prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to age, residence, means, nationality and previous academic attainment.

The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant assessing authority, i.e. the applicant's VEC. An applicant may appeal the decision to the relevant VEC.

Where the assessing authority decides to reject the appeal, the applicant may appeal this decision to my Department by submitting an appeal form outlining clearly the grounds for the appeal.

No appeal appears to have been received by my Department to date from the candidate referred to by the Deputy.