Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 July 2025
144. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the increases in SUSI grants have kept pace with the cost-of-living increases in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37405/25]
View answerI am very much aware that the rising cost of living continues to impact students and their families.
The Government, through successive budgets, has sought to reduce the cost of higher education, through once-off measures and through long term improvements to the student grant scheme.
Over the past three years once-off cost of living measures has included:
• Reduction to the student contribution fee by €1,000;
• Increase to the postgraduate fee contribution grant from €4,000 to €5,000;
• Additional funding to the Student Assistance Fund.
More long-term measures have also been implemented over recent Budgets which include:-
• Increases to student maintenance grants;
• Increases to all income thresholds, including the special rate of grant;
• Reduction in the distance criteria for the non-adjacent rate of grant;
• A new student contribution grant of €500 for income thresholds up to €100k, which has been increased for the 2025/26 academic year to €115k;
• Change to the eligibility criteria for second chance mature students;
• Increases in the deduction allowable for student earnings outside of term time;
• Restoration of maintenance grants for postgraduate students; and
• Introduction of a new part-time fee grant scheme in September 2024.
CSO data outlines that the 3-year average growth in inflation is 5.4%. Maintenance grant rates remained static up to and including the 2021/22 academic year. From there on, the maintenance grant rates have increased from between 28% (Non-adjacent Special Rate) and 121% (Non-adjacent Band 4). The following table outlines the increases in each of the maintenance rates.
|
Maintenance Rate Description |
2012/13 to 2021/22 |
2022/23 Academic Year |
2023/24 Academic Year |
2024/25 Academic Year |
% Increase from 2012/13 to 2024/25 |
|
Non Adjacent Special Rate |
€5915 |
€6115 |
€6971 |
€7586 |
28% |
|
Adjacent Special Rate |
€2375 |
€2575 |
€2936 |
€3230 |
36% |
|
Non Adjacent Band 1 |
€3025 |
€3225 |
€3677 |
€4292 |
42% |
|
Adjacent Band 1 |
€1215 |
€1415 |
€1613 |
€1774 |
46% |
|
Non Adjacent Band 2 |
€2270 |
€2470 |
€2717 |
€3332 |
47% |
|
Adjacent Band 2 |
€910 |
€1110 |
€1221 |
€1343 |
48% |
|
Non Adjacent Band 3 |
€1515 |
€1715 |
€1887 |
€2502 |
65% |
|
Adjacent Band 3 |
€605 |
€805 |
€886 |
€975 |
61% |
|
Non Adjacent Band 4 |
€755 |
€955 |
€1051 |
€1666 |
121% |
|
Adjacent Band 4 |
€305 |
€505 |
€556 |
€612 |
101% |
From September, 2025, all income thresholds under the Student Grant Scheme will increase. The income threshold for the special rate of maintenance is increasing in line with Social Welfare and all other income thresholds are increasing by at least 15%.
Following these recent revisions, the income threshold to receive a Student Contribution grant now stands at €115,000 which is the highest it has ever been. This means that undergraduate students who were not eligible previously may now qualify for a Student Contribution Grant.
The measures to increase the income thresholds is primarily with a view to recognising the increase in income growth over the last number of years and the effect that this has had on student supports and the number of students eligible to receive a student grant.
This Government is committed to reducing the cost of college for families and we have already made significant strides in that regard.
To support decision-making, ahead of Budget 2026, I will publish an options paper, which will identify costs and potential impacts of various policy options aimed at reducing the cost of higher education.
The options assessment is intended to identify costs and potential impacts by the Department and is published without prejudice to eventual Government decisions.
