Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Education and Skills

Student Grant Scheme Eligibility

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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431. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a higher education grant was refused for the second year when granted for the first year in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if eligibility will be reviewed in view of the family's dependence on social welfare assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35235/14]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Under the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

Officials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy was awarded a grant covering fees for the 2012/13 academic year. However, his student grant application for the 2014/15 academic year was refused on the basis that the reckonable income exceeds the prescribed limit for the award of grant assistance.

SUSI advised that a member of their assessment team spoke to the applicant's father on the 20th August 2014 to confirm the household income, and a letter was subsequently issued to the student on the 29th August 2014 advising that he was not eligible for funding.

If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to the appeals officer in SUSI.

Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form is available to download from .

Photo of Michael McCarthyMichael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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432. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills with regard to the means assessment used by Student Universal Support Ireland the reason net income is not the basis of the eligibility decision; the way she will address the fact that tens of thousands of young people are being priced out of higher education due to their parents' income being only slightly above the threshold to qualify for grants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35248/14]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The assessment of means under my Department's student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources. Therefore, all income is assessed from the same starting point, eliminating any distortion which might arise from different spending decisions.

The means test arrangements of the student grant scheme are applied nationally. In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants, gross income is assessed with certain specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded.

The eligibility of an applicant, or the level of the grant awarded, may be re-assessed by the awarding authority in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year.

I have no plans at present to depart from the above practice in respect of the determination of income.

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