Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
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581. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps needed to access a SUSI grant for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22058/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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An official from my Department contacted the Deputy’s office seeking information regarding the student to enable a more individualised answer. However, the official was advised that the student's parent did not want to provide any further information.

In general, for student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.

A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if they have attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not ordinarily resident with their parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, they would be assessed as a dependent student i.e. assessed with reference to parental income and address.

A student’s status for grant purposes is defined at their first point of entry to an approved further or higher education course or at their point of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and continues to apply for the duration of their studies.

The decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).

Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. The relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.

Further information regarding class of applicant (independent or dependent) and the types of documentation accepted as evidence of living independently from parents is available from SUSI’s website: www.susi.ie/eligibility/applicant-class/.

An applicant can appeal a decision by SUSI and their case will be reviewed by SUSI’s Appeals Officer. The appeals officer may seek further information in cases where an applicant does not have the above documentary evidence for Independent Residency, such as in the case of renting a room.

In addition, where a student considers they have been unjustly refused a student grant, they can appeal in the first instance to SUSI. If their appeal is turned down by SUSI they can further appeal to the independent Student Grant Appeals Board on-line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.

My Department reviews policy on an ongoing basis, having regard to overall resource constraints and other competing demands in the further and higher education sector.