A county councillor says changes to the student grant in the budget did not go far enough.
In Budget 2022, the maintenance grant for the SUSI scheme was increased by €200 per year, the qualifying income threshold was increased by €1,000, and the distance for the non-adjacent grant was reduced from 45km to 30km.
Fine Gael councillor Michael Foley says these changes are welcome, but a root and branch overhaul of the system is needed, as it's a shame that a household income slightly above the threshold is a deterrent to third level education.
Cllr Foley adds the qualifying threshold should be based on a household's net income, rather than gross.
The Fine Gael councillor says he will be meeting the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe to air these concerns next week.
