Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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248. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of late applications for a SUSI grant for the 2017/2018 academic year; the number that were accepted and not accepted, respectively; and the reason for non-acceptance of late applications. [12492/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In line with the provisions of the annual student grant scheme and in order to deliver an efficient service and timely outcomes for students, SUSI implements key dates relevant to the submission and processing of student grant applications.

The SUSI online student grant application system for the 2017-18 academic year opened on 3 April 2017. Students were encouraged through all SUSI communications channels including a national media advertising campaign and via the SUSI website, social media, publications, student/college outreach events, media and stakeholder information services to apply before the published priority application processing dates of 15 June (renewing applicants) and 13 July (new applicants) so that their applications could be received and processed with priority by SUSI in advance of the commencement of the academic year in September 2017.

Following these dates, the online system remained fully open for all application types until the closing of the system on 2 November 2017.

In advance of the closing of the system on 2 November, students who had commenced online applications for the 2017-18 academic year but who had not completed and submitted their applications were e-mailed encouraging them to complete and submit their applications before 2 November.

103,340 applications were received before the closing of the system on 2 November. Thereafter, 631 requests to make late applications were received from students. Of these, 210 requests were accepted and 414 were not accepted. 7 requests are currently pending decision. The decision regarding whether to accept or reject a late application is a matter for SUSI and my Department has no role in this matter.

The Student Grant Scheme 2017 provides that duly completed applications must be received not later than 13 July but that, thereafter, an application not received on time may be accepted, at the discretion of the awarding authority, until one month before the end of the academic year to which the application relates.

On this basis, and in line with its established practice, SUSI accepted applications until 2 November 2017. Late applications were accepted by SUSI after this date only where:

- a student’s course commenced after 2 November 2017;

- a student had a change in circumstances in respect of one or more specified criteria in the period from 2 November 2017 until the end of the 2017-18 academic year;

- students experienced extenuating circumstances that adversely affected them and their ability to make an application prior to 2 November 2017.

SUSI implements a formal process for the making and handling of requests by students to make late applications and gives careful consideration to all requests received. The late application process is published on the SUSI website at www.susi.ie/2017-18-late-applications-process.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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249. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of lost applications for a SUSI grant for the 2017/2018 academic year; the process in place to ensure that applications are not lost; and the remedy available for those whose applications have been lost. [12493/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I have been advised that no student grant applications have been lost by SUSI for the 2017-18 academic year.

Applications are recorded and can be tracked and accounted for, from the point they are commenced by students in the online application system, through to when they are completed and submitted to SUSI for processing and at all stages thereafter.