Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has confirmed that applications for student grants for the new academic year are now open and changes to the grants will see significant improvements for students.
From September:
Maintenance grants will increase by €200
The income threshold for the standard rate of grant will increase by €1,000
The distance for the higher non-adjacent student grant will be reduced from 45km to 30km
Senator Cummins said: “These changes to the grants will deliver much-needed assistance to students and families across Waterford.
“The €200 increase in the maintenance grant will offer direct financial assistance to over 62,000 students across the country, and increasing the eligibility cut off point by €1,000 will ensure even more students qualify, and more families can access support.
“Reducing the distance for the higher non-adjacent student grant also means more students who are living away from home or travelling to college will qualify for the higher grant. This will make a substantial difference to many people.
“These are real and tangible changes which will help students and families, and they are in line with the forthcoming Review of the Student Grant Scheme, which will be brought to Government in the coming weeks. As part of that review I am lobbying heavily to reduce the student contribution charge considerably in the next budget as I believe this would assist families with the costs of attending third level education”
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris TD said: “We will continue to make changes to assist students. We strongly believe there is a need to reduce the cost of education for families and we are working with Government colleagues to outline our priorities on how we can help people with these significant costs.
“For any student experiencing difficulties currently, there is a significant allocation to the Student Assistance Fund and I would encourage students to contact their access offices to avail of these funds.”
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