Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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453. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider continuing to extend the SUSI maintenance grant to persons being transferred from the jobseeker's transition payment to the back to education allowance as a result their child turning 14 years of age and instead continue to provide a maintenance grant even though typically the back to education allowance would not be a compatible payment until the recipient completes their education course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56976/21]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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454. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of parents who lose the SUSI maintenance grant as a result of being transferred from the jobseeker's transition payment to the back to education allowance due to their child turning 14 years of age; if his Department has conducted research into the effect this has or will have on the completion rate of education courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56977/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together.

Under the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is available to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the terms and conditions of funding, including those relating to residency, means, nationality and previous academic attainment. All applications are assessed with reference to the terms and conditions of the relevant student grant scheme.

The Jobseeker’s Transitional (JST) payment is administered by the Department of Social Protection. I understand that this payment is a special arrangement under the Jobseekers Allowance scheme that aims to support lone parents into the workforce where the youngest child is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive.

Recipients of Jobseeker's Transitional payment (JST) may pursue a course of education and receive JST, and if eligible, a student maintenance grant. Alternatively, they may apply for Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) Instead of JST should this be more financially beneficial. (The person in receipt of JST makes the choice as to whether to apply for BTEA or SUSI grant assistance (in addition to retaining JST), depending on which payment is more favourable).

In general terms, there is nothing preventing a lone parent who is in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance Transition payment from applying to SUSI for grant assistance under the Student Grant Scheme.

Jobseeker's Allowance Transition (where paid to the applicant) is treated as an income disregard for the purposes of the Student Grant Scheme, i.e. it is not included in the calculation of reckonable income for the student grant means test. Furthermore, the Jobseekers Allowance Transition payment is an eligible payment for the special rate of maintenance grant.

Students in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) are not eligible for maintenance support under the Student Grant Scheme, as this would result in a duplication of income support payments. On this basis, there are no plans to amend the current arrangements. However, students in receipt of BTEA may be considered for SUSI fee supports up to a maximum of €6,270 under the Student Grant Scheme.

SUSI does not hold data on the age of children linked to the Jobseekers Transition payment. Also, I understand that persons in receipt of this payment may subsequently move onto other eligible long-term payments for the special rate of maintenance grant. These payments may not necessarily identify the individual as being a lone parent.

If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.

Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe.

Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. The fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.