Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

523. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI, qualifying income criteria in order that families in receipt of the working family payment automatically qualify for the SUSI grant and maintenance payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6636/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is important to say that the Student Grant Scheme does take account of the circumstances of people in receipt of the Working Family Payment. First of all, it is treated as an income disregard. This means that it is not included in the income considered for the student grant. Furthermore, unlike other social protection payments which are paid to individuals, the Working Family Payment is a payment deemed to be paid to a family. In recognition of this, the Student Grant Scheme contains provisions which allow this payment to be recognised for the purposes of meeting the eligibility criteria for the special rate of grant, which is the highest maintenance grant support available. This ensures that those students most in need receive supports which are commensurate with their needs. As in any statutory scheme, a core principle of the scheme is that there is consistency of approach and an equitable treatment for all applicants as part of the means assessment process. All applications are assessed nationally with reference to the terms and conditions of the relevant student grant scheme. The terms and conditions of funding are applied impartially to all applicants. Creating a difference of treatment in respect of different cohorts of student within the scheme by allowing them to automatically qualify for a student grant would be a significant risk to a statutory scheme which relies heavily on consistency and equity for all applicants. More widely, as the Deputy will be aware, as part of this year’s Budget I made the first substantial changes to the rates and thresholds for the Student Grant Scheme in a decade. The draft report of the review of the Student Grant Scheme was submitted to me in late December 2021. This will be critical in informing decision-making in future Estimates processes about changes to the rates and thresholds, as well as informing policy priorities and future considerations regarding the development of student grant policy.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

524. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the SUSI qualifying income thresholds with a view to adding additional bands for dependent children, that is, expanding the number of bands from the current three bands and increasing the overall income thresholds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6637/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Student Grant Scheme, administered by SUSI, provides grant assistance to students pursuing an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. It assists over 70,000 students annually to access third level education.

The Student Grant Scheme contains a number of qualifying thresholds for various grant values. These gradations allow students just over a threshold margin, to remain in receipt of a grant, albeit at a reduced rate that reflects their relative income vis-à-vis other applicants.

The scheme provides for different levels of income thresholds where families have (i) less than 4 dependent children (ii) between 4 and 7 dependent children and (iii) 8 or more dependent children. In recognition of the additional cost to families where more than one person is attending college, income thresholds may also be increased by up to €4,830 for each additional family member attending college at the same time. In this way, the Student Grant Scheme is responsive to the individual circumstances of particular families.

The eligibility criteria for student grants are reviewed annually by the Department and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. All proposals made in relation to education expenditure, including student grants, are considered in the context of the annual Budget.

As part of Budget 2022, I have secured an additional €15m to enhance the existing financial supports under the Student Grant Scheme for implementation in 2022.

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.

The Deputy will be aware of the independent Review of the Student Grant Scheme, which was a very important commitment in the Programme for Government. This review will help shape decision-making on how we support students over the years to come. I can confirm that the draft report was submitted to me in late December 2021. Given the inter-connectivity between strategic student support issues and other reform priorities (e.g. the expansion of supports to part-time and blended learners as an enabler of lifelong learning or enhanced postgraduate supports as an enabler to equality, diversity and inclusion in the R&I system), it is now my intention to bring the report to Cabinet shortly alongside the Future Funding Model report. I will carefully consider how best to advance the recommendations of the report when it is published.