COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 11, 2011
HEADED ITEM NO. H.15a)
STUDENT GRANT SCHEME 2011 for students attending Higher Education Courses in 2011/12
The Student Support Scheme for the 2011/12 academic year has been approved by the Department of Education and Skills and has now been published on the studentfinance.ie website. This Scheme applies in relation to the provision of grants to students in the 2011/12 academic year, where such year begins on or after 1 September 2011,
As part of the overall student grants reform programme, the four existing grant schemes have been consolidated and this year, a single unified student grant scheme is being introduced to cover all study from PLC through to postgraduate levels. The development of a single scheme was enabled by the Student Support Act which was signed into law in February 2011. As a consequence of the legislation, the student grant scheme for 2011/12 is now governed by:
- The Student Support Act 2011
- The Student Support Regulations 2011- SI 304/2011
- The Student Grant Scheme 2011 – SI 305/2011
The new scheme will apply to all students who wish to apply for a grant for the 2011/12 academic year other than those who were in receipt of a grant in 2010/11 and continuing on the same course.
Each awarding body is requested to convey the information in relation to the new scheme and the Budget changes to all grant applicants as part of their normal correspondence and in circumstances where the awarding authority provides general information on student grants (e.g. on its website or at school information visits).
The principal changes as it relates to Local Authorities as Awarding Bodies relate to:
1. Grant eligibility, including classification as a dependent or independent student
Classification as a dependent or independent student is currently determined at the point of entry to each grant scheme. Under the single scheme, only a single point of re-classification is possible which is on progressing from further to higher education. The exceptions to this are the opportunity to re-classify following re-entry as a mature student after a break in studies and to re-classify as a second chance student after a five year break in study. Both of these provisions are being retained.
Otherwise, the purpose of the change is to remove the current anomalous provision where an opportunity is created to re-classify on moving from a higher education course at level 6 or 7 to a higher education course at Level 8 or above.
2. Period of eligibility and progression
Undergraduate: Limits on the number of years for which undergraduate courses may be funded have been introduced and are outlined in paragraph 14(10)(b) of the Scheme
Grant aid shall be limited to a maximum of four years in total for a course at Level 8 of the framework of qualifications, except for courses where the normal duration is more than four years
Postgraduate: The limits on the number of years for which postgraduate courses may be funded will now take into account previous attendance and attainment at postgraduate level, regardless of whether a student previously received a grant or not.. Details are outlined in paragraph 14 (10) (c) of the Scheme.
Grant aid for postgraduate study shall be limited to a maximum of four years in total. Account is taken of all previous attendance and attainment at postgraduate level when considering grant aid entitlement for postgraduate study, regardless of whether a person previously received a grant or not.
3. Other scheme changes:
A number of other scheme changes have been introduced to facilitate convergence of the existing schemes, where current administrative practice is not reflected in the schemes or to clarify issues not adequately articulated in the schemes. These include:
- Providing for the appropriate awarding bodies to which grant applications should be submitted under the new scheme (Article 31 of the Scheme refers). In this regard, new applications will be made to local authorities in respect of attendance on an approved course in one of the following institutions in the 2011/12 academic year;
- a university
- a prescribed educational institution in Ireland (for example a college of education)
- an approved undergraduate course in an approved educational institution in the EU
- an approved postgraduate course in an approved educational institution in Northern Ireland
- Providing for two classes of grant: a maintenance grant and a fee grant (encompassing tuition fees, the student contribution charge and grants towards compulsory field trips).
- Retention of the existing range of approved institutions and courses for 2011/12, on the basis that these may be subject to review in the future. This is reflected in the regulations.
- Reflecting existing practice on increments in respect of additional family members attending recognised courses and on current income disregards in the new scheme.
4. Budget 2011
In relation to the decisions announced in Budget 2011, a reduction of 4% was already applied to the rates of student grants and scholarships consistent with the percentage reduction in all Department of Social Protection (DSP) working-age payments. This reduction was implemented in respect of all grant-holders from January 2011. Since 2008, changes in the rates of student grant are considered as part of the annual Budget process each year and rates become effective on a financial, rather than an academic year basis.
5. Qualifying distance criterion for non-adjacent rate of grant
A change in the qualifying distance criterion for entitlement to the higher non-adjacent rate of grant (distance from home to the higher education institution) from 15 miles (24 kilometres) to 45 kilometres announced in Budget 2011 will come into effect for all students from the start of the 2011/2012 academic year. Therefore, some continuing students may need to be re-assessed on this basis.
Removal of automatic entitlement of mature students to the higher non-adjacent rate : The automatic eligibility of mature students to the higher non-adjacent rate of grant will be withdrawn for all students from the start of the 2011/2012 academic year, bringing the arrangements for mature students into line with all other students. Re-assessment of some continuing students may be necessary in this regard.
6. Student contribution
References in the schemes to the student services charge has been replaced with the student contribution (€2,000).
7. Reckonable Income:
An additional level of reckonable income limit will be introduced from September 2011 to cover the cost of 50% of the new student contribution charge for qualifying students.
The following is an outline of Income Limits for Maintenance and Fee grants
Maintenance
Income
€22,703
€41,110
€42,235
€44,720
€47,205
€51,380
€55,920
Award
Special
100%
75%
50%
25%
NIL
NIL
Fees
Income
€22,703
€41,110
€42,235
€44,720
€47,205
€51,380
€55,920
Award
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
50%
NIL
Student Contribution
Income
€22,703
€41,110
€42,235
€44,720
€47,205
€51,380
€55,920
Award
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
50%
Field Trip
Income
€22,703
€41,110
€42,235
€44,720
€47,205
€51,380
€55,920
Award
Payable
Payable
Payable
Payable
Payable
Not Payable
Not Payable
**The above figures relate to income for families of less than four dependent children and as outlined at 3 above increments may be applied to the relevant income limits in certain circumstances including larger families and where 2 or more students are registered at an approved course.
8. Rates of maintenance grant
The rates of grant effective from January 2011 are:
Standard Non-Adjacent Rate Adjacent Rate
Full Maintenance €3,120 €1,250
Part Maintenance (75%) €2,340 €940
Part Maintenance (50%) €1,560 €625
Part Maintenance (25%) €780 €315
Special Rate of Grant
Standard Grant Top-up Amount Total
Non Adjacent Rate €3,120 €2,980 €6,100
Adjacent Rate €1,250 €1,195 €2,445
9. Closing Date:
As in previous years, the closing date for applications is 31st August, 2011. The Local Authority may, however, accept an application which is not received on time and may, at its own absolute discretion, treat such an application as if it had been received on time.
NOTE: As has been the case heretofore courses in private colleges are not covered under the Higher Education Grants Scheme.
As previously advised South Dublin County Council is one of a number of Awarding Authorities who is now engaged in the extended pilot for on-line submission of new applications