Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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671. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if all recipients on a SUSI maintenance grant will receive an additional €200; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51174/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As part of Budget 2022, I have secured an additional €15m to enhance the existing financial supports under the Student Grant Scheme.

For the academic year 2022/23 this will mean:-

- An increase to all student grant maintenance payments, including the special rate of grant, of €200 per year which will benefit all students entitled to receive a maintenance Grant. There are currently circa 62,000 SUSI grant recipients receiving maintenance support. 

- The income threshold to qualify for the standard rate of student grant has been increased by €1,000.

- The qualifying distance criterion for students to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant has been reduced from 45km to 30km, effective from the start of the 2022/23 academic year.

I have prioritised these changes for the 2022/23 academic year and they will benefit thousands of

students building on the improvements that have already been made for postgraduate students through this year’s student grant scheme. These improvements to the student grant scheme have

been a priority for me since taking up my Ministerial appointment.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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672. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the anticipated percentage reduction in the spending in each academic year 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 of the €35 million SUSI package announced as part of budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51175/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Text of PQ changed as agreed with Deputy's office to "the anticipated percentage split in the spending in each academic year 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 of the €35 million SUSI package announced as part of Budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

As part of Budget 2022, I have secured an additional €15m/43% to enhance the existing financial supports under the Student Grant Scheme to take affect from the start of the 2022/23 academic year.

For the academic year 2022/23 this will mean:-

- An increase to all student grant maintenance payments, including the special rate of grant, of €200 per year which will benefit all students entitled to receive a maintenance Grant. There are currently circa 62,000 SUSI grant recipients receiving maintenance support. 

- The income threshold to qualify for the standard rate of student grant has been increased by €1,000.

- The qualifying distance criterion for students to qualify for the non-adjacent rate of grant has been reduced from 45km to 30km, effective from the start of the 2022/23 academic year.

I have prioritised these changes for the 2022/23 academic year and they will benefit thousands of

students building on the improvements that have already been made for postgraduate students through this year’s student grant scheme. These improvements to the student grant scheme have

been a priority for me since taking up my Ministerial appointment.

In addition, in 2022 I have maintained €20m / 57%  within our allocation in anticipation of increased demand on SUSI due to potential change of circumstances from an economic downturn.

The maintenance grants are paid in 9 monthly instalments therefore €15m is allocated for the Sept-Dec period of the 2022/23 academic year.