For students looking to make an online application for the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant, this will be there last month do so as the programme deadline fast approaches. Open since last April, the priority applications deadline closed in July, however online applications remained open. The deadline for these is 1 November.

The numbers

Almost 500,000 awards have been granted by SUSI since its introduction in 2012. The number applying for SUSI each year shows the popularity of the grant. The academic year 2017-2018 saw 103,400 applications, with over 82,000 grants being awarded.

Figures obtained by Irish Country Living show there have been 95,400 applications already made to SUSI for the 2018-2019 academic year. While the majority of applications have already been made, they will facilitate applications for three weeks, with September seeing an average of 1,100 applicants each week.

In a statement, Aoife Greene of SUSI said: “We do facilitate students applying after the July date up until Thursday 1 November. However, we encourage students to submit their applications on time in order to receive a decision from us prior to the start of the academic year. Applications received after 12 July are dealt with when those received before the priority closing date have been processed.”

For those who have not already applied and wish to do so, it is advised that this is done as soon as possible.

What grants are available?

Depending on whether you are a PLC, undergraduate or postgraduate student, you will be eligible for different grants. But what are the grants in questions and how will you know if you are eligible for them?

1 The maintenance grant. The maintenance grant is a contribution towards day-to-day living costs and is paid directly to eligible students through nine monthly instalments over the course of the academic year. The total amount of grant payable will depend upon the level of a student’s reckonable income.

Tuition students and students in receipt of a BTEA (back to education allowance) payment are not eligible to receive the maintenance grant. This grant is paid in monthly instalments over the course of the year.

2 The fee grant. The fee grant is made up of three elements: tuition fee; student contribution charge and compulsory field trip expenses.

Following registration by a student on their chosen course, their college will determine whether the free fees schemes apply to the course being undertaken and whether the student is eligible for free fees under those schemes, further to which it will be determined that the fee grant will cover either the student contribution charge or tuition fees, as follows:

  • Student contribution charge of €3,000 where the free fees schemes apply to the course and the student is eligible for free fees under those schemes, OR
  • Tuition fees to a maximum limit of either €6,270, where the free fees schemes do not cover the course, or the full amount of 100% of the EU fee rate for the course where the free fees schemes apply to the course.

    • 3 In some cases, a student will be eligible for compulsory field trip expenses if it applies to their course and if there is sufficient funding remaining from the total grant awarded.

    4 Special rate of maintenance grant. There is a special rate of grant available for eligible students. The conditions you need to meet to qualify for this rate of grant are as follows:

  • You must qualify for the ordinary rate of grant.
  • Your total reckonable household income must not exceed €23,500.
  • On 31 December of the previous year to your application, the reckonable household income must include an eligible long-term Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection payment as prescribed under the scheme or its equivalence from an EU Member State. For more details on this grant, visit www.susi.ie/quick-links/special-rate-awards/

    • 5 Postgraduate fee contribution or postgraduate fee grant. Depending on the level of a student’s reckonable income, they may qualify for either a postgraduate fee contribution of €2,000 or a postgraduate fee grant, up to a maximum of €6,270, towards the cost of their fees. In order to receive the maximum funding, students must meet the criteria for the special rate of grant.

    Who is eligible for what?

  • PLC students: They are eligible for the maintenance grant only.
  • Undergraduates: They are eligible for the maintenance grant, the fee grant or the student contribution grant.
  • Postgraduates: Eligible for the postgraduate fee contribution or postgraduate fee grant, and also for the special rate of maintenance for those who are eligible for the special rate fee contribution.

    • Visit www.susi.ie for more details.