Income Limits

The means test for a maintenance grant in 2011/2012 is based on your family's income for the previous full tax year(2010).  However, if you or your family have had a change of circumstances (which is permanent) since 31 December 2010, your changed circumstances may be taken into account.

The family income limits for eligibility for a maintenance grant in 2011/2012 are set out below.  Some social welfare payments are excluded from 'reckonable income' for the purposes of maintenance grants - see more details on reckonable income on www.studentfinance.ie

Budget 2011 did not change the limits from those that applied in 2010/2011 but it did add a new eligibility category for exemption from 50% of the new Student Contribution, which replaces the Student Services Charge - see 'Changes in Budget 2011' below.

Reckonable income limits:

The period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010 is the reference period for the academic year 2011/12.

The income limits that apply to tuition students relate to the fee elements only.  A tuition student does not qualify for any maintenance grant.

Income limits for Maintenance and Fee grants
To qualify for:         Number of dependent children	Maintenance:   Special Rate* Fee elements 100% Tuition Fees 100% Student Contribution Field Trip	Maintenance:  100% Standard Rate Fee elements 100% Tuition Fees 100% Student Contribution Field Trip	Maintenance:  75% Standard Rate Fee elements 100% Tuition Fees 100% Student Contribution Field Trip	Maintenance:  50% Standard Rate Fee elements 100% Tuition Fees 100% Student Contribution Field Trip	Maintenance:  25% Standard Rate Fee elements 100% Tuition Fees 100% Student Contribution Field Trip	Maintenance:  Not payable  Fee elements 50% Tuition Fees 100% Student Contribution Field Trip-  Not payable	Maintenance: Not payable Fee elements Tuition Fees Not payable 50% Student Contribution Field Trip - Not payable
Less than 4	€22,703	€41,110	€42,235	€44,720	€47,205	€51,380	€55,920
4 - 7	€22,703	€45,165	€46,415	€49,145	€51,880	€56,460	€61,440
8 or more	€22,703	€49,045	€50,400	€53,360	€56,320	€61,295	€66,700

 

Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table A for Maintenance & Fee Grants
+increment for each additional relevant person	€0	+ €4,980	+ €4,815	+ €4,815	+ €4,815	+ €4,980	+ €4,980

 * To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance an applicant's reckonable income on
31 December 2010 must include one of the eligible payments.  Please refer to Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2011 for fulll details.

** Increments which may be applied to the relevant income limits:

Rates of Grant

Rates of Maintenance Grant for the financial year 2011:

	Non-Adjacent Rate	Adjacent Rate
Special Rate of Maintenance	€6,100	€2,445
Full Maintenance	€3,120	€1,250
Part Maintenance (75%)	€2,340	€   940
Part Maintenance (50%)	€1,560	€   625
Part Maintenance (25%)	€  780	€   315

Adjacent and non-adjacent rates

Qualifying distance criterion for non-adjuacent 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 approved 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 2011/12 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.

In addition, 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.  Again, re-assessment of some continuing students may be necessary in this regard.