Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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460. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students who received a grant in a repeat year of studies during the years 2013-14 and 2014-15; and the guidelines used to decide on their qualifications. [26902/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Under the Student Support Act 2011, applications for student grants are assessed with regard to the Student Grant Scheme and Student Support Regulations of the relevant year.

In order to be approved for student grant funding, the eligibility criteria set out in this legislation must be satisfied and this includes that a student meets the criteria in relation to progression within their studies Article 15 (5).

A grant may not be paid in respect of a student doing a repeat period of study on the same or a different course, or where their chosen course of study is not demonstrating that the student is progressing in their studies Article 15 (6) & (7).

However, the Student Grant Scheme provides that SUSI has discretion to award and pay a grant in exceptional circumstances where a student is doing a repeat period of study or not meeting the progression criteria Article 15 (8).

In such an instance, the discretion is applied in line with guidelines drawn up by the Minister for Education and Skills which are published each year and are available on SUSI's website (www.susi.ie).

The guidelines address that exceptional circumstances may arise which impact on a student completing a particular period of study or undertaking exams and that each application for repeat funding must be treated on a case by case basis.

While data for 2013/14 is not available, in 2014/15 there were 186 students awarded grants where exceptional circumstances applied and who would otherwise have not been eligible under the progression criteria.