Guidance Counsellor Billy Ryle advises that students should always submit a grant application. Even if you don’t currently qualify, your financial circumstances could deteriorate en route through college!…
INTEGRATE
It’s not easy integrating 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 to meet the cost of accommodation.
Rental accommodation, alone, has increased by 70% in the cities during the past five years, putting most of it beyond the reach of students.
With rent spiralling out of control, deserving students, who have studied hard to achieve a college place, are struggling to pay for college.
Continued below…
EXPENSIVE
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 €13,000 annually if they are living away from home or about €5,000 if living at home. The student contribution of €2,500 has also to be paid.
SUSI
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is Ireland’s higher and further education grants awarding body. 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, tertiary, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
ELIGIBLE
To be eligible for a grant, an applicant must meet a nationality criterion, a residency criterion, an education progression criterion and an approved course criterion, all of which are mere formalities for most applicants.
To be eligible for funding, your total household reckonable income must fall below specific income thresholds.
The SUSI website contains tables outlining the income thresholds and the associated maintenance grant rates for applicants. The minimum distance from home to college for the higher grant (non-adjacent) eligibility is 30km.
About 80,000 students should be eligible for some level of standard maintenance grants ranging from €612 to €4,722.
GRANT
The maximum standard non-adjacent maintenance grant payable in the 26/27 academic year will be €4,722.
For students who live less than 30km from their college, the standard maximum adjacent grant is €1,774.
The gross annual income level for grant eligibility is €47,010 (less than four dependent children), €51,520 (between four and seven children) or €55,850 (between eight or more dependent children).
Income thresholds increase by €4,950 for each additional family member in college. The amount of non-assessed holiday income that a student can earn per annum is €8,830.
SPECIAL
There is also a special maintenance grant of €7,936 (non-adjacent) and €3,230 (adjacent) for applicants whose annual gross income is less than €28,600 (less than four dependent children), €31,350 (between four and seven children) or €33,980 (eight or more dependent children).
On 31st December 2025, the reckonable household income must include an eligible long-term Department of Social Protection payment as prescribed in the Student Grant Scheme.
PRIORITY
SUSI is prioritising new grant applications until 9th 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 2025 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.
RECKONER
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.
REGISTER
Before you start your application, create an account in your SUSI student portal. You will be asked for your Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), Name, Date of Birth, Email address and Phone number.
Create your log in details 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.
FUNDING
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.
• Billy Ryle is a Career Guidance Counsellor and Educational Commentator
