Written answers

Tuesday, 8 September 2020

Department of Education and Skills

Student Universal Support Ireland

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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836. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the five-year waiting period will be waived or reduced in order for SUSI grants to be allowed for those that did not complete studies in previous years. [21601/20]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

To satisfy the terms and conditions of the scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course.

The objective of this policy is to assist as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study, given that the scheme operates in the context of limited public funding and competing educational priorities.

However, the Student Grant Scheme contains a “second chance” provision, whereby mature students who previously attended but did not successfully complete a course re-enter an approved course following a break in studies of at least five years may be assessed for grant assistance.

In 2017, this provision was amended so that a second chance student who attends a course below undergraduate level during the 5 year break does not incur any penalty under the five year rule. This allows second chance students an opportunity within the five years to prepare themselves to re-enter higher education by attending a course below undergraduate level. It also recognises that engagement at a further education level may serve a student’s learning needs and may prepare them more effectively for higher education. Articles 13(6) and 13(7) of the Student Grant Scheme 2020 refer. The normal rules of progression will still apply in that a student must be progressing to a higher level course when s/he returns to college after the five year break.

The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including student grants, will be considered in the context of Budget 2021.

Also, in the context of a person re-educating, Springboard is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free part-time higher education courses to enable unemployed people, returners (formerly referred to as homemakers) and those in employment to upskill or reskill in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. The courses, which are at Level 6 (Higher Certificate) to Level 9 (Master's Degree) on the National Framework of Qualifications, are being delivered in public and private higher education providers around the country. Further information may be obtained from the website .

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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837. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase the holiday threshold allowance for students (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21874/20]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt.

In the assessment of means, a deduction can be made for holiday earnings made by the applicant from employment outside of term time but within the reference period.

Student grant applications for academic year 2020/21 will be assessed based on income earned in 2019. The 2020 Scheme allows students to disregard holiday earnings up to €4,500 from the assessment of reckonable income. The student must also have been in education when this income was earned. The value of this income disregard was increased from €3,809 to €4,500 in the 2016 scheme.

SUSI’s online application process for student grant applications for the 2020/21 academic year opened on 23rd April, 2020. Students are advised to submit their renewal student grant application as soon as possible. Further information in relation to student grant assistance is available from SUSI’s website, www.susi.ie. The telephone number for SUSI’s Helpdesk is 0761 087 874.

The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including student grants, will be considered in the context of Budget 2021.

The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards the rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. The total allocation for the SAF is €9.1 million which includes an additional €1m added to the Fund in 2017 for part-time students who are lone-parents or members of the other access target groups. Prior to that the fund supported full-time students only. In December 2018 a further €1 million was added to the Fund for students attending Professional Masters of Education courses, who are experiencing financial difficulty. This funding continued into 2019 and 2020. The package of Covid 19 supports approved by Government in July includes a further €10m in access supports for students. A significant amount of this money will be used to double up the Student Assistance Fund, with remaining funding used to support students via the access services in the higher education institutions. Institutions have the autonomy to maximise the flexibility in the Student Assistance Fund to enable HEIs to support students during the COVID-19 situation.

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