Thousands of third-level college students are set to see a welcome cash boost coming their way as college maintenance grants increase from today.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has confirmed that the rates for students receiving grants from SUSI will increase by between 10 per cent and 14 percent, reports the Irish Mirror. The major boost will help students cover their living expenses amid inflation and the cost of living crisis as they return to college after the Christmas holidays.
From today, students who receive the special rate of maintenance from the SUSI grant will get an extra €476 between January and May if they are on the non-adjacent rate, and it applies when their college is more than 30km away from their normal residency. Meanwhile, students on the special rate grant will receive an extra €201 if they are on the adjacent rate.
Read more: Social welfare Ireland: Thousands to receive boost as 2023 kicks off with major changes to payments
Here's everything you need to know about changes to the SUSI grant payment from this week:
What is the Student Grant Scheme (SUSI)?
The Student Grant Scheme is Ireland's main financial support scheme available for students studying here and abroad. It is more commonly known as the SUSI grant because the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is the awarding authority for the scheme.
The SUSI grant is means tested based on the student's family's financial situation. How much the student receives also depends on how far the student's living accommodation is from their chosen college.
Changes in January 2023 for SUSI grant recipients
As indicated in The Budget, students who are on the standard full maintenance band one for the SUSI grant will receive an extra €251 (non-adjacent) or €110 (adjacent rate). Students on band two maintenance grant will benefit by an extra €137 (non-adjacent) or €62 (adjacent).
SUSI grant recipients eligible to receive band three of the part maintenance grant will receive an extra €96 (non-adjacent) or €45 (adjacent) between now and May, while those in band four will receive €53 (non-adjacent) or €28 (adjacent). The SUSI increases will be broken down over five payments between January and May 2023.
Last month, students received a welcome boost in the form of a double grant payment just before the Christmas as part of measures aimed at easing the cost of living. This week, Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said that the cost of education “remains a challenge for many in this country."
He said: "The student maintenance grant is incredibly important for thousands of students and their families across the country. But we also recognised that it needed to be improved to help with the challenges of inflationary pressures and a cost of living crisis.
"That’s why I’m delighted to announce that effective from today the student maintenance grant rates will increase by between 10 and 14 per cent. It is my job as Minister to ensure every person, regardless of their background, has the same opportunity to access further and higher education," added Minister Harris.
Other changes for college students for 2023/2024
Since The Budget, the government has also reduced the contribution fee by €1,000 for all undergraduate students eligible for free fees. In addition, postgraduate students who qualify for the postgraduate SUSI fee contribution grant will get a once-off increase of €1,000 (from €3,500 to €4,500).
It's also good news for PhD students getting Science Foundation Ireland or Irish Research Council awards, who will also get a payment of €500.
Fees for the 2023/24 academic year will also be reduced by €500, and last month on December 16 thousands of students received a once-off double grant payment.
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