The student grant scheme has had some changes; here's what you need to know
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There are a number of important new changes to the student grant scheme for the upcoming college year, so it’s worth taking note and double-checking your eligibility.
The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant is the main financial support scheme for students studying in Ireland. Student grants here are means-tested, which means a student’s household income is examined in order to determine their eligibility.
Applications have been open since April, but there is still time to apply if you think you may be eligible. Different factors contribute towards how much of a grant a student receives, typically their household income and the distance they live from college.
For 2023, a new student contribution grant of €500 has been introduced for eligible undergraduate students and income thresholds have been introduced. If your household income is under €100,000, you may be eligible for this new grant towards your student contribution, charged at a max rate this year of €3,000.
This €500 grant is not available for those availing of free fees, and a student’s total household income must fall within certain set thresholds.
If there are less than four dependent children in the household, the income threshold is set at €100,000. If there are between four and seven dependent children in the household, this threshold is set at €109,600, and at €118,806 if there are eight or more dependent children in the house.
Keep in mind that income is calculated based on gross income from all sources for the previous calendar year.
The maintenance grant is a contribution towards a student’s living costs, and it is paid directly through nine monthly installments over the course of the academic year.
It’s paid at two rates; adjacent and non-adjacent rates. The adjacent rate is paid when a student is attending college less than 30km from their home, while the non-adjacent rate is paid when a student’s college is 30km or more from their home.
A big change to the student grant for 2023 is the introduction of new, increased income thresholds for the part-maintenance student contribution grant.
Last year, it was set at €55,240 in households where there are less than four dependent children in the household. For 2023, this has now been set at €62,000.
A special rate of maintenance grant is also available for eligible students whose total household income meets a certain threshold. For 2023, this has also been increased. It now stands at €25,000 in households with less than four dependent children, having increased from €24,500 last year.
For 2023, the amount a student can earn outside term time has increased from €4,500 to €6,552.
You can check your eligibility on SUSI.ie, and see what grants are available to you. Applications will remain open in the coming weeks, but students should not delay when it comes to starting their applications.