Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Student Grant Scheme is the principal financial support for students participating in higher education. The Scheme provides for fee and maintenance grants to all students who meet the qualifying criteria such as means, residency, nationality and progression. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.

Particular priority is afforded to those on the lowest incomes and social welfare dependents through the special rate of grant, which is payable at the higher non-adjacent rate of €6,971 or the adjacent rate of €2,936, depending on the distance travelled to the college attended.

In assessing an application for the 2023/24 academic year, SUSI will have regard to the following qualifying criteria for the special rate of maintenance grant:

2. Total reckonable income, after income disregards and Child Dependant Increase(s) are excluded, must not exceed €25,000;

3. As at 31st December 2022, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible long-term social welfare payments prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2023.

The One Parent Family Payment is an eligible payment for the purposes of qualifying for the special rate of grant. It is also an income disregards for student grant purposes, where paid to the applicant and is not included in the means test. This treatment, along with other provisions of the scheme, ensures that those students most in need receive supports commensurate with their needs.

Also for the 2023/24 academic year the eligibility for second chance mature students has reduced from 5 to 3 years. This is particularly helpful for eligible adults over 23 who may have previously started a course but did not complete their course who wish to re-enter education following a break in studies and apply for supports. For further information on student grant scheme eligibility, see www.susi.ie.

Apart from the student grant students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). The Fund provides financial support to students who are experiencing financial difficulties while attending college. Students can apply for SAF to help with either temporary or ongoing financial difficulties and can be assisted towards their rent, childcare costs, transport costs and books/class materials. It is open to both full and part-time registered students on courses of not less than one year's duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification. It is designed to provide a source of financial support in addition to a SUSI grant.

Regarding access measures for disadvantaged students, the new National Access Plan, a Strategic Action Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success 2022-2028 was developed in the context of Programme for Government (PfG) commitments and other social inclusion policy measures. The plan aligns with and builds on the wider ambitions of the PfG by providing accessible, affordable education to all citizens. Lone parents are included as a specific key performance indicator in this Plan.

€5m was secured under Budget 2022 to support new pilot initiatives and enhance existing initiatives under the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Fund to address priority actions under the NAP. Delivery of the Plan is supported by the PATH programme which provides a range of supports to priority groups including bursaries under the 1916 scholarship scheme and support for people from target groups in accessing initial teacher education. The programme also supports clusters of higher education institutions in attracting under-represented students. Details of bursaries and other supports are available on www.studentfinance.ie and I would encourage any student considering re-entering education to contact the access office of the institution they are attending to see what other supports may be available.

DFHERIS bursaries and SAF funding do not negatively affect SUSI grant eligibility for students.