Wallace pleased with plans for new student-friendly grant process 
 

18th November 2009

Meath East TD Mary Wallace is pleased with plans to make the application system for the student maintenance grant more student-friendly.
Application forms for the grants are to be made available to students earlier in the year so that students can submit grant applications following the completion of the CAO process.
Earlier closing dates are also planned to be introduced so that the process of assessing grant applications can be brought forward significantly to enable early decisions on grant applications to be made by awarding authorities.
There are also plans to simplify the range of grants and significantly reduce the number of bodies administering them.
Education Minister O’Keeffe and his Department are actively engaged in a Programme of administrative and legislative reforms of student grants. 
The number of people applying for college places has increased considerably, applications are up 8 per cent this year alone, and that trend is due to continue with people going back to education to up-skill and retrain.
Bringing the application process back to when students have just completed the CAO process is an important step in ensuring that staff administering the grants are able to get the grants to students in time for the commencement of their course.

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