Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will advise Irish families who support third level students of the financial supports available where reckonable household incomes exceed €44,000. [28793/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. Various income thresholds for a grant apply depending on the number of dependent children in a family and/or the number of children attending further and higher education. Any applicant, below these thresholds and who meets all of the other terms and conditions of the student grant scheme will qualify for a grant.

In addition to the student grant tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners on www.revenue.ie.
A table outlining the income thresholds for the 2013/14 academic year follows.

SCHEDULE 1

Reckonable Income Limits for maintenance and fee grants for the 2013/14 academic year

Part A

1. Reckonable income limits:

The period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012 is the reference period for the academic year 2013/14.

The income limits that apply to tuition students relate to the fee elements only. A tuition student does not qualify for any maintenance grant .

Income limits for Maintenance and Fee grants — Table A

Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table A for Maintenance and Fee Grants — Table B**

*To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance an applicant’s reckonable income on 31 December 2012 must include an eligible payment listed in Schedule 2.

**Increments which may be applied to the relevant income limits: