SUSI Applications for 2025/2026 Now Open – What You Need to Know
SUSI is now accepting grant applications for the 2025/26 academic year. If you're planning to start or continue your studies next year, it's worth getting your application in early — they tend to receive a huge volume over the summer.
You don’t need your CAO offer or final results to apply — just put down the course you expect to do. You can change this later on.
What's changed this year?
Some updates to the Student Grant Scheme could make a real difference to students, especially those from lower-income households or anyone juggling study with part-time work:
⬆️ Higher income thresholds
Income limits for maintenance grants have increased by 15%, which means more students may now qualify for support.
The Special Rate threshold is now €27,400 (for households with fewer than four dependent children).
Thresholds for Student Contribution and Fee Contribution grants (both full-time and part-time) have also increased — some now up to €64,315.
💸 Holiday Earnings cap raised
If you work over the summer or during other breaks, you can now earn up to €8,424 (up from €7,925) without it affecting your grant application.
🧾 New disregards
SUSI won’t count certain payments when assessing household income — for example:
Turf cutting compensation
Some environmental restoration payments
Stardust ex-gratia payment
Up to €5,000 of a scholarship or bursary not already covered by the scheme
🧑🤝🧑 Nationality rules slightly expanded
There are new pathways for eligibility if you’ve been granted permission to stay in Ireland under certain long-term residency or regularisation schemes. Worth double-checking if you weren’t eligible before.
Our take
Announced in the previous budget, the increases in thresholds and earnings disregard are a small but welcome move toward improving access, especially for students working to support themselves. That said, SUSI can still be a complicated and frustrating system to navigate, and not everyone who needs help qualifies.
If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible or struggling with the application process, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are on hand to help you make sense of it and to push for a more accessible, fairer student support system.
