Single body to deal with student grants

PLANS to set up a single student grant scheme with the aim of making quicker and more efficient payments were announced yesterday by Education Minister Mary Hanafin.

But the Union of Students in Ireland has warned that as long as local agencies are involved this proposal will fail.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin announced yesterday that the four schemes available to qualifying college students are to be unified, and a single agency will operate the new scheme. She said that under this system, students who applied by the end of May each year would have a decision within three weeks and payments would be made in the first month of the college year.

The measures will be brought to Cabinet in the coming weeks, by which time it is expected that the single agency will be decided on.

There have been ongoing discussions over the past two years in this regard, with local authorities and Vocational Education Committees (VECs) which operate the most popular schemes, staking a claim to continuing these duties.

The USI had proposed to have the Department of Social and Family Affairs do the work, with experienced staff and existing systems for speedy processing of means-tested applications.

USI president Tony McDonnell said the disregard of its proposal was a cowardly decision which would mean efficient payment could not be guaranteed.

"If a local council or VEC has been slow and inefficient in the past, then that will continue for students from these areas and they will still be waiting months into the college year for their money," he said.

The 2002 Programme for Government promised to introduce the payment of maintenance grants through a unified and flexible grant payment scheme.

Ms Hanafin expects, through the Student Support Bill she hopes will be passed by the end of this year, that the system will be in place for the college year beginning in autumn 2007 after the general election.

"These reforms are part of the Government's strategy to ensure that students get the support they need when they need it, so that money problems don't stop them from achieving their full potential at college," she said.

Last year, more than 56,000 students benefited from grants worth at least 200 million. Ms Hanafin said the highest level of grant has risen from just over €2,000 in 1997 to €5,400 this year.

The Higher Education Authority (HEA) just last week cited the maze of grant schemes as a deterrent to prospective students.

Dr Mary-Liz Trant, director of the HEA's access equity office, said making grant applications easier would be a positive move, particularly for those from socio-economic groups under-represented at third level.