Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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167. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the value of an inheritance of an asset is not regarded as reasonable income in certain cases in the assessment of a student grant; the reason the value of the asset is seen as income in other cases; if he will review this with a view to taking account of a monetary inheritance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33424/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In calculating reckonable income under the Student Grant Scheme, the awarding authority considers income from all sources earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period, including income from gifts and inheritance.

Article 24(6) of the Student Grant Scheme 2017 provides that gifts or inheritances received in the reference period will be included as reckonable income. This will be taken into account for one year only. Grant assistance may not be awarded in any case where the reckonable income exceeds the prescribed income limits for the award of a grant.

If any of the persons whose income is under consideration received a gift or an inheritance in the reference period, these are included in reckonable income, unless in the case of an independent student, the gift or inheritance was between the applicant and his or her spouse, civil partner or cohabitant; or in the case of a dependent student, the gift or inheritance was between parents or to the applicant from his or her parent(s).

If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to 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 may be submitted by the applicant via www.studentgrantappeals.ie outlining the position to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe.