Student grants

The main financial support available for eligible students attending full-time further and higher education courses is the student grant, which may include a maintenance grant and/or a fee grant, depending on eligibility.

The means-tested Student Grant Scheme is administered by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) on behalf of the department.

Please visit susi.ie for comprehensive information on student grants and studentfinance.ie for information on other sources of financial assistance such as the Student Assistance Fund, the Fund for Students with Disabilities and the Free Fees Initiative.

The main terms and conditions of funding relate to reckonable income (means), residency, nationality and previous academic attainment. You must also be attending a full-time course in an approved institution. For more detailed information on eligibility criteria, see susi.ie.

To be eligible to apply for financial assistance under the Student Grant Scheme, you must be attending a full-time course in an approved institution, such as:

• PLC course (minimum 1 year duration) within the State
• undergraduate course (minimum 2 years duration) in the State or an EU member state or United Kingdom
• postgraduate course (minimum 1 year duration) in the State or Northern Ireland

Examples of courses which are not approved for grant purposes are as follows:

• distance learning or online courses
• part-time or evening courses
• foundation courses
• courses of a shorter duration than the minimum durations outlined above

However, you may be entitled to tax relief on tuition fees. Further information is available from the Revenue Commissioners or your local tax office.

Renewal students can apply online through SUSI Renewal Application page .

New student grant applications can be applied online through SUSI's website.

If you are currently in receipt of a grant from an awarding authority other than SUSI and are continuing on the same course, you remain with your existing awarding authority. You should contact your awarding authority regarding the renewal of your grant.

When you can apply

You do not have to wait to be accepted onto a course to apply for a student grant - you should apply as early as possible to ensure that there is no delay in payment if you are deemed eligible for grant assistance.

You can check your eligibility on the SUSI website.

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