Families earning up to €120,000 can avail of SUSI grants from today, Higher Education Minister James Lawless has announced.
Student financial supports in the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) scheme have opened for applications for the 2026/27 academic year with expanded eligibility.
The household income threshold for the student contribution grant of €500 was raised from €115,000 to €120,000 in Budget 2026, while there has been a permanent €500 reduction in the Student Contribution charge (from €3,000 to €2,500).
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The change is the first permanent reduction since free fees were introduced in 1995; however, young people going to college in September will still be worse off by €500 after a temporary €1,000 cost-of-living reduction in 2024 was not repeated. Mr Lawless also announced an increase in the threshold for the special higher rate of the SUSI grant, with households earning up to €28,600 included, up from €27,400.
There will be a permanent €500 increase in the Postgraduate Fee Contribution Grant (from €4,000 to €4,500) as well as a slight increase to the income disregard for student earnings outside term time (from €8,424 to €8,830).
Maintenance grants for students living over 30km from their institution have been raised by between €200 and €430 depending on household income. Mr Lawless encouraged students and families to check their eligibility for the grant scheme early.
