Question
My daughter is preparing for her Leaving Cert and plans to go to college in September. What financial supports are available to her?
Answer
Susi (Student Universal Support Ireland) is Ireland’s national awarding authority for further and higher education grants, providing funding to students at PLC, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Maintenance grants and fee grants are available to eligible undergraduate students. Maintenance grants help students with their living costs and are paid directly to their bank account.
Fee grants pay tuition fees for students who do not qualify for the Free Fees Scheme and can also pay the student contribution fee. Fees are paid directly to the college on behalf of the student.
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To be eligible for funding from Susi, a student must meet the following eligibility criteria
Nationality
The student must be an Irish, EU, EEA, UK or Swiss national, or have specific immigration or leave-to-remain status.
Residency
The student must have been resident in the Irish State, the EU, EEA, UK or Swiss Federation for three of the past five years.
Previous education and progression
The student must be progressing in their education, which means they must be attending a course that:
- leads to a higher level of qualification than they hold,
- is a higher level than any course they previously attended and
- they are progressing from one year to the next and not repeating a year except in exceptional circumstances.
Approved course in an approved institution
The student must be attending an approved course in an approved institution.
Income
The total household income must fall under specified thresholds. The income calculated for grant assessment purposes depends on whether a student is classed as a dependent, mature dependent or independent student.
If a student is under 23 on January 1st of the year of their first point of entry to further or higher education, they are a dependent student. If a student is over 23 on January 1st of the year of their first point of entry/re-entry to further or higher education and resides with their parents or legal guardians, they are a mature dependent student. The income of the student plus the income of their parents/legal guardians is included in the income calculation for dependent and mature dependent students.
If a student is over 23 on January 1st of the year of their first point of entry to further or higher education and resides independently from October of the year prior, they are an independent student and their income, along with the income of their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant, as applicable, is included in the income calculation.
For academic year 2026-2027, applications are assessed on the gross income from all sources for the period January 1st, 2025, to December 31st, 2025. Gross income includes all income before any deductions such as income tax or PRSI.
In Budget 2026 it was announced that the income threshold for the €500 student contribution grant would increase for the academic year 2026-2027. This means that a grant may be available to eligible undergraduate students with a total household income of up to €120,000. The income limits increase to take account of the number of dependent children in the household and can be adjusted to take account of other people within the household who are attending a full-time course in further or higher education.
Susi is now open for applications for academic year 2026-2027. Information on how to apply is available on the Susi website (susi.ie), and the Susi support team are available to answer any questions by phone or email.
askbrian@irishtimes.com
