Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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670. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider allowing first year college students who have particularly struggled during the pandemic to be permitted to repeat first year while retaining all SUSI grants; if he will acknowledge that some students have struggled with having to conduct their entire first year online and have been impacted negatively in terms of mental health and academic achievement; if he will examine the way in which students that are reliant on SUSI grants will be accommodated to repeat first year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12855/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the student grant scheme, a student must progressing to retain their student grant.

The legislation does not allow for a grant to be paid to a student for a repeat period of study on the same course, or for a different course at the same level, irrespective of whether or not a grant was paid previously.

Once an equivalent period of study has been completed on the new course, the student may be eligible for student grant assistance for the remainder of the course.

However, it is important to stress under Article 15(8) of the Student Grant Scheme 2020, the awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) has discretion to award a grant for a repeat period of study in exceptional circumstances which impacted on a student completing a particular period of study or undertaking exams in line with guidelines drawn up by the Minister.

SUSI treats each application for repeat funding on a case-by-case basis, and it is a matter for the individual student to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the awarding authority that there were exceptional circumstances.

Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, the Deputy will be aware of the €168m funding package of for the return to education. This package includes a €10m access support package for higher education students. I have approved the allocation of €8.1m of this funding to top up the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The SAF assists students in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Institutions have the autonomy to maximise the flexibility in the Student Assistance Fund to enable HEIs to support students during the COVID-19 situation. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.