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Billy Ryle says college is very costly so students are advised to apply to SUSI for college grants by the closing date of July 6th…
It’s not easy to integrate into college life if you’re making a daily return commute from Kerry to Limerick or Cork.
But that’s the only option facing many students who can’t afford the cost of accommodation. Rental accommodation, alone, has increased by 60% in the cities during the past five years, putting most of it beyond the reach of students.
While, Technological University Dublin’s “Cost of Living Guide” suggests that accommodation costs have marginally stabilised, many applicants can’t consider study in Dublin due to the shortage and cost of accommodation.
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Further and third level education is very expensive. The financial burden is eased a little for students who qualify for a partial or total grant.
Even so, many college students have to work part-time or depend on their parents to make ends meet. Thousands of students who are ineligible for funding must come up with about €12,000 annually if they are living away from home or about €5,000 if living at home. The student contribution also has to be paid.
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is the grant authority for higher and further education. Student grants are divided into maintenance grants and fee grants.
Maintenance grants are paid directly to the student’s bank account. Fee grants pay tuition fees, the student contribution and the cost of essential field trips. SUSI grants are available at PLC, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
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To be eligible for funding, your total household reckonable income must fall below specific income thresholds.
The SUSI website, www.susi.ie, contains tables outlining the income thresholds and the associated maintenance grant rates for applicants.
Income thresholds increase by €4,950 for each additional family member in college. The amount of non-assessed income that a student can earn per annum is €6,552.
The minimum distance from home to college for the higher or non-adjacent grant is 30km. A student living less than 30km from home is paid the smaller or adjacent grant.
About 75,000 students are eligible for some level of standard maintenance grants ranging from €500 to €3,677.
The standard maximum non-adjacent grant payable in the 2023/2024 academic year is €3,677. The standard maximum adjacent grant is €1,613.
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The gross annual income level for standard grant eligibility is €40,875 (less than four dependent children), €44,810 (between four and seven children) or €48,575 (between eight or more dependent children).
There is also a special maintenance grant for applicants whose annual gross income is less than €25,000 (less than four dependent children), €27,400 (between four and seven children) or €29,702 (eight or more dependent children).
That payment is now €6,971, non-adjacent and €2,936, adjacent, respectively. SUSI is prioritising new grant applications until 6th July.
SUSI will process late applications but its best to be on the priority applications list. Submit your online grant application as soon as possible.
Applicants are assessed on gross income from all sources in the 2022 financial year. Applications are assessed as either a ‘dependent,’ ‘mature dependent’ or ‘independent’ application.
A dependent applicant is assessed on the income of parents or guardians, while an independent applicant is assessed on personal income and that of her/his partner.
As the grant is means-tested, visit the eligibility reckoner on www.susi.ie. This facility provides potential applicants with an approximate indication of whether or not they are likely to qualify for a grant.
However, it’s always advisable to submit a grant application. Even if you don’t currently qualify, your financial circumstances may change going forward.
Begin your SUSI grant application by registering for an online account where you can set up your username, password and security pin.
Then carefully complete the interactive application form. Once you have submitted a grant application you can follow its progress on the SUSI Online Application Tracker.
Further information on state funding can be found on www.studentfinance.ie. Most of the institutions also offer a range of scholarships for excellence in areas such as academic, sport, creative arts and entrepreneurship.
Colleges also operate a Financial Assistance Fund for students experiencing financial difficulty during term. Go to the relevant colleges’ websites for further details.
Watch out also for local scholarships such as Credit Union Scholarships available to members. If at all possible, avoid taking out a student loan, but if you must then the best rates are available from your local Credit Union.
CHECKLIST
• Third level education is very expensive
• Many college students have to work part-time to make ends meet
• Many college students depend on their parents to make ends meet
• Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is the grant authority for further/higher ed.
• Priority closing date for new applications for SUSI grant at www.susi.ie is 6th July
• It’s always advisable to apply for a SUSI grant as your financial status may change
• The gross annual income level for standard grant eligibility is €40,875
• The minimum distance from home to college for the higher grant is 30km
• The higher or non-adjacent standard grant payment is €3,677
• The smaller or adjacent standard grant payment is €1,613
• CAO ‘Change of Mind’ Form closes at 5pm on Saturday, 1st July
• Leaving Cert results will be published on Friday, 25th August
• CAO Round One offers will be available at 2pm on Wed., 30th August
Billy Ryle is a Career Guidance Counsellor and Educational Commentator
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