Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 136: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an aspect of the higher education grant scheme (details supplied). [8521/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for a student's local grant awarding body – the relevant local authority or VEC. In the absence of all of the relevant details that would be contained in an individual's application form and the necessary proofs that must be provided, the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be possible for me to say how a student would be assessed by his or her grant awarding body and whether or not they would qualify for a grant.

However, in relation to the specific clauses in the 2010 student grant schemes governing the issues raised by the Deputy, the position is that a student may be assessed as an independent mature student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course or of re-entry following a break in studies of at least three years and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from 1 October 2009. Otherwise he/she would continue to be assessed on the basis of his/her parents' income.