Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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209. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the SUSI scheme; the timeline for the completion of the review; the timeline for the implementation of recommendations of the review; if changes to the SUSI scheme on foot of the review will take place in advance of the 2021-2022 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28627/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme.

A Steering Committee has been established to provide direction for the external consultants undertaking the review. Its membership includes: the Union of Students of Ireland; Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), SOLAS, the HEA; Irish University Association (IUA); Technological Higher Education Association (THEA); Technological University Dublin (TUD), the Department of Social Protection and officials from my Department.

The public consultation process closed a few weeks ago with over 250 submissions received. The views of students were sought via an online survey process. Over 9,000 survey responses were received. The survey process closed on May 19th and the consultants will now commence their analysis of the rich data captured in the surveys.

It is anticipated that the SUSI review will be completed later this year and will inform policy priorities for the next Estimates process and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.

Separately, SUSI opened its application process for the 2021/22 academic year on March 31 and to date has received over 50,000 applications. This year’s scheme includes enhanced supports for postgraduate students which were announced in Budget 2021. I also secured an additional €20m in Budget 2021 to meet anticipated demands on the scheme as a consequence of the Covid pandemic.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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210. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reverse the Budget 2011 decision to increase the SUSI non-adjacent distance criterion from 24km to 45km; the analysis his Department has carried out or commissioned into the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28628/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Student Grant Scheme, administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), provides grant assistance to eligible students attending an approved course at an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.

Student maintenance grants are payable at either the adjacent or non-adjacent rate. The distance to be measured is the shortest non-tolled most direct route from the student’s residence to the institution attended. The adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in the case of a student whose normal residence is 45km or less from the approved institution which he or she is attending. The non-adjacent rate of maintenance grant is payable in all other cases.

The current qualifying distance threshold of more than 45km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant, takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government contains commitments to, among other things, review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports. On foot of these commitments I gave approval to commence a review of the Student Grant Scheme. The review, which commenced earlier this year, will examine eligibility criteria such as: income thresholds; postgraduate supports; grant values and adjacency rates. It anticipated that the review will be completed later this year and will inform future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.