Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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691. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason why a person (details supplied) who has never applied for the SUSI grant is automatically classed as a dependant applicant by SUSI, and can therefore not apply for the first time to SUSI as an independent applicant if there is not a gap of three years between undergraduate and postgraduate studies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40959/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As per Article 13(3) of the Student Grant Scheme 2024, as an independent mature student the applicant must be:

• 23 years of age or over on 1st January of the year when they first enter/re-enter further or higher education, and

• They must have been living independently from their parents/legal guardians from the October in the year prior to their first point of entry/re-entry into further or higher education and will be required to provide evidence of this.

An applicant’s classification is defined at their first point of entry or re-entry to an approved further or higher education course and will continue for the duration of their studies. A dependent student can only be reclassified following a three year break in their studies as per Article 13(5) of the scheme.

I have been advised that the student referred to by the Deputy was under 23 years of age at their first point of entry to an approved higher education course in the 2018/2019 academic year and, therefore, classed as a dependent student under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme. This is irrespective of whether they had applied for or were in receipt of grant funding previously.

The student did not have the required three-year break in studies to be reclassified as an independent student prior to starting their course in the 2024/2025 academic year.

A letter was sent to the student by SUSI on 23 August 2024 advising that their application had been cancelled and to re-apply as a dependent student to be assessed with reference to their parents/legal guardians’ income. The student has not re-applied for student grant funding for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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692. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will urgently review the EU fees element of the SUSI process (details supplied); the reason this rule is applied differently in Ireland; and if he will ensure that his Department carries out a full review of the criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41000/24]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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In considering the matters raised it is important to distinguish between the fees policy of an individual Higher Education Institution and the eligibility criteria of the separate student grant scheme.

The higher education tuition fee payable by a student can vary depending on a variety of factors including the type of course and the student's access route. The assessment of a student’s application and the determination of the appropriate fee rate is a function of the institution attended. Typically, there are two rates of fee, an EU Rate of Fee or a non-EU rate of tuition fee that a Higher Education Institution may apply. Higher Education Institutions are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own day-to-day management and operational affairs. This includes setting the criteria a person must meet to be regarded as an EU or a Non-EU tuition fee student.

The criteria may vary by institution, and I understand that an institution’s criteria will generally include specified Nationality and/or Residency requirements that students would be expected to meet to qualify for the institutions EU rate of fee. It is not open to my Department to intervene in the fee policies of these autonomous institutions.

In terms of the student grant scheme, as administered via SUSI, the position is that to avail of a grant a student must meet the scheme criteria including residency. To be eligible for a grant, a student must have been resident in the Irish State, the EU, EEA, UK or Swiss Federation for three of the last five years before the start of their academic year. It is important to point out that a student who did not meet the residency requirement at the start of their studies may be in a position to meet it during the course of their studies and become eligible for a student grant for the following academic year, provided they meet all other criteria of the Student Grant Scheme.

However, the criteria of the student grant scheme is not the determining factor in a student availing of the EU or Non-Eu rate of fee and instead it is a matter for the relevant institution to determine in line with the criteria it has set.