Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2025
42. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of third level students who will benefit from increasing the SUSI income threshold from €115,000 to €120,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55739/25]
View answerI recognise that third level education can be a significant cost for families and students.
Introduced in the 2023/24 academic year, the €500 Student Contribution Grant has had a significant impact, with over 18,000 students receiving the grant in the 2024/2025 academic year. These are students who previously would never have qualified for any form of grant support.
In Budget 2026 I was delighted to be in a position to bring in the first permanent reduction to the Student Contribution Charge reducing the charge from €3,000 - €2,500 this academic year.
In addition, I secured funding to increase the threshold to avail of the €500 Student Contribution Grant from €115,000 - €120,000. This will come into effect in September 2026. Combined with the permanent fee reduction, this means that eligible undergraduate students whose households earning are under €120,000 will pay no more than €2,000 towards the student contribution charge in the 26/27 academic year.
As this is a demand led scheme it is not possible to determine how many people will apply as a result of this measure. It is estimated that there may be over 2000 families eligible between the income brackets of €115,000 - €120,000. However, beyond this, there may be many thousands of other students who are eligible to apply for the €500 grant who have not yet applied. Students are encouraged to check out www.susi.ie to consider whether they may be eligible for support.
