The national student grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), will open its online application system for the 2016/17 academic year on April 5th. The national awarding authority received 108,000 applications for 2015/16, awarding approximately 83,000 student grants. SUSI provides financial assistance to eligible students in the form of maintenance grants and/or fees (or student contribution, where applicable).
What types of studies does SUSI fund?
SUSI provides assistance for approved full time education in further education (Post Leaving Certificate courses), higher education, postgraduate studies and also in some cases to students who wish to study outside of the State.
Eligible students attending further education (Post Leaving Certificate courses) receive a maintenance grant, the value of which is determined by a couple of things, namely the level of reckonable income in the household for the previous year and the distance that the student travels from home to college (more or less than 45km). SUSI will be using Eircode in 2016/17 to assess the distance between a student’s home address and the college that he/she is attending.
Eligible students attending higher education, as well as receiving the maintenance grant, also have their fees/student contribution covered, whichever applies to the student. The value of the student contribution for the 2016/17 academic year is €3,000. For mature students going back to study, it should be noted that where they are in receipt of a Back to Education allowance from the Department of Social Protection they are not eligible for a SUSI maintenance grant.
Eligible students at postgraduate level do not receive a maintenance grant, however they can receive a contribution towards the cost of the postgraduate fees.
What types of studies does SUSI fund?
SUSI provides assistance for approved full time education in further education (Post Leaving Certificate courses), higher education, postgraduate studies and also in some cases to students who wish to study outside of the State.
Eligible students attending further education (Post Leaving Certificate courses) receive a maintenance grant, the value of which is determined by a couple of things, namely the level of reckonable income in the household for the previous year and the distance that the student travels from home to college (more or less than 45km). SUSI will be using Eircode in 2016/17 to assess the distance between a student’s home address and the college that he/she is attending.
Eligible students attending higher education, as well as receiving the maintenance grant, also have their fees/student contribution covered, whichever applies to the student. The value of the student contribution for the 2016/17 academic year is €3,000. For mature students going back to study, it should be noted that where they are in receipt of a Back to Education allowance from the Department of Social Protection they are not eligible for a SUSI maintenance grant.
Eligible students at postgraduate level do not receive a maintenance grant, however they can receive a contribution towards the cost of the postgraduate fees.