The Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan T.D., today announced details of the student grant scheme for the coming academic year.
This year’s scheme includes a number of changes which are aimed at targeting those students most in need of grant assistance.
The publication of the scheme coincided with SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) opening its online application system in the last week for the 2015/16 academic year, more than two weeks earlier than last year.
For the 2014/15 academic year, SUSI received in excess of 103,000 applications and made awards to over 74,000 students. SUSI anticipates that it will receive over 110,000 applications for the 2015/16 academic year.
The closing date for new applications is 1 August, 2015. The closing date for submission of renewal applications from existing grantholders is 12 June 2015.
Minister O’Sullivan said: “The earlier opening date is positive news for students. I would encourage students to visit the SUSI website to review the eligibility criteria for student grant funding. I would also urge students to apply to SUSI as early as possible.”
This year’s scheme includes a number of changes which are aimed at targeting those students most in need of grant assistance. Welcoming the changes the Minister said: “The 2015 scheme will expand the number of payments that are not taken into account in accessing eligibility for a grant. These will include rent supplement and Housing Assistance Payments, the new Water Conservation Grant and mortgage interest supplement. There is now a greater alignment in how SUSI and the Department of Social Protection calculate reckonable income. This is a very welcome development and one that simplifies applications for those students most in need.”
Another positive development for students, is the change to how maintenance grants will be paid for the 2015/16 academic year. From 2015/16, students will now receive four months maintenance before the end of December, instead of three. The balance of five months payments will be made the following year. Minister O’Sullivan said “I am delighted to have secured this benefit for students in Budget 2015. This change should help to alleviate the pressures that some students experience in the first semester.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
The main changes to the 2015 Student Grant Scheme are as follows:
Payments included as “income disregards”
The following are included as income disregards when calculating reckonable income for the purposes of the 2015/16 Student Grant Scheme:
· Department of Education and Skills Third Level Bursary Scheme,
· Exceptional Needs Payments,
· Household Benefits Package,
· Housing Assistance Payment,
· Independent Living Allowance for Young People in Residential Care,
· Jobseekers Allowance Transition (where paid to the applicant),
· Mortgage Interest Supplement,
· Rent Supplement,
· Water Conservation Grant.
Eligible payments for the special rate of grant
The following are now included as eligible payments for the special rate of grant:
· Jobseekers Allowance Transition – This change will enable one-parent families affected by the Department of Social Protection changes to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) scheme, to retain their current entitlement to student grants.
· Independent Living Allowance for Young People in Residential Care - The inclusion of this payment reflects the treatment of allowances in respect of young people in foster care.
Student Contribution
Although the student contribution is being increased by €250 to €3,000 for the 2015/16 academic year, undergraduate students who qualify for the grant will continue to have the student contribution paid on their behalf.