Nicosia, Cyprus. Members of the House education committee on Wednesday called on the government to do more for students after it announced last week an increase in the student grant budget to €62 million.
Disy calls for broader eligibility
Disy MP Prodromos Alambritis said that while the bill is “a step forward”, his party remains dissatisfied. He said more categories of people should have been included so that more families could receive student grants, and noted that the cost of living has increased by 24 per cent since the grant was first introduced.
Alambritis said the expansion of income criteria should at least have matched that increase. He also said “special provisions” should have been included for families with three children, as well as families with two or more children studying at the same time.
Akel questions scale of increase and allocation
Akel MP Christos Christofides said the increase is “not satisfactory” and said he believes the budget rise to €62 million will not result in grants reaching that amount from the current €48 million.
He said the maximum cost of the government’s changes will be €11.2 million and suggested the remaining €2.8 million may be allocated to “previous debts that the state scholarships foundation owes to students”. Christofides said that if the state scholarships foundation owes almost €3 million, “it is a scandal”.
Concerns over per-student support
Christofides said the announced 10 per cent increase to the maximum amount per student, from €1,710 per year to €1,881 per year, is insufficient, as it amounts to €14.25 per student per month.
He said the increase cannot be limited to about €15 per month, particularly for students most in need and whose parents’ incomes are below €44,000.
Do you think the government should broaden eligibility or increase the maximum grant per student?
