Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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754. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applicants to SUSI that sought a waiver of the progression criteria; the number granted a waiver in each year since 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17027/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under Articles 15(6) and (7) of the Student Grant Scheme 2020, 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. A grant will not 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. However, 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, under Article 15(8), the awarding authority has discretion to award a grant for a repeat period of study in exceptional circumstances in line with guidelines drawn up by the Minister.

Chapter 1 of the 2020 Scheme Guidelines states: Exceptional circumstances may arise which could impact on a student completing a particular period of study or undertaking exams. It will be necessary, therefore, for an awarding authority to treat each application for repeat funding on a case by case basis.

Please see below a breakdown of applications where Exceptional Circumstances were declared for all academic years since 2016/17. Please note that the number for 2020/21 is subject to change as operations for academic year 2020/21 are ongoing.