The revision of the income criteria for the student grant remains pending, as the relevant bill has not yet been submitted to Parliament despite a commitment that it would be ready by last December. The delay is causing concern, as with parliamentary elections scheduled for May approaching, the risk is increasing that the legislation will not be adopted before the dissolution of the House. If the timetable is not respected, this year’s call for student grant applications may once again proceed under the same income criteria that have been in force since 2013, despite significant changes in the cost of living over the past decade.
The issue was discussed yesterday by the House Education Committee, where the need to revise both the income thresholds and the amount of the student grant was once again highlighted. MPs stressed that the current limits no longer correspond to economic realities, resulting in several families being excluded from the support system even though they face significant financial burdens related to their children’s studies.
Thirteen years with the same criteria
The basic income threshold for eligibility for the grant has remained at €59,000 for more than twelve years. However, based on inflation and the overall increase in the cost of living, that amount corresponds today to approximately €82,000 in real terms.
The discussion on revising the criteria has resurfaced recently in the context of the government’s intention to increase the overall budget for student support. The relevant amount, which in previous years was reduced from €72 million to €48 million, has been announced as increasing to €62 million.
At the same time, an increase in the income thresholds is being considered so that more families can qualify for the student grant system. However, the changes currently being discussed are considered by some to be limited in relation to actual needs.
Focus also on large families
The discussion also addressed the issue of support for large families. The government is considering abolishing income criteria for families with five children or more, but MPs raised the need for the measure to be extended to families with four dependent children as well.
The issue was also linked to the broader discussion on Cyprus’s demographic challenge, with references to the need to strengthen support for families with children and to create meaningful incentives to assist students.
The House Education Committee is expected to revisit the matter once the bill is submitted, with its members expressing their intention to accelerate procedures so that the changes can be implemented as soon as possible. However, as long as the proposal remains pending, the possibility remains that this year’s student grant will be awarded under the same unchanged criteria that have been in place for more than a decade.