Troy urges county's students to apply for SUSI grant
Local Minister of State Robert Troy TD has called on third level students and families in County Westmeath to check if they meet the criteria to apply for the SUSI grant.
The Fianna Fáil Deputy welcomed confirmation from the Department of Higher Education of a significant increase in students applying to SUSI for supports following the expansion of eligibility criteria under Budget 2025.
"I’m delighted to see an increase in student applications this year. I know the cost of further and higher education can be a challenge, which is why we have expanded grant eligibility by raising income thresholds to offer greater support.
"Undergraduate students from households whose reckonable income is under €115,000 may now be eligible for financial support. These changes are about making education more accessible and helping students pursue their educational ambitions," Deputy Troy said.
Budget 2025 provided substantial improvements to the Student Grant Scheme including:
an increase to the income threshold for the special rate of grant from €26,200 to €27,400 in line with increases in social welfare rates.
an increase to all other maintenance and student contribution grant thresholds by 15%.
an increase to the income deduction for student earnings outside of term time from €7,925 to €8,424 effective for the 2025/26 academic year.
an expansion of the eligibility criteria to allow students who have certain immigration permissions to apply for grants.
an increase to the thresholds for the Postgraduate Fee Contribution and the Part-Time Fee Scheme for Specified Undergraduate Courses to €64,315.
Over 7,500 more applications have been received for SUSI grant support compared to the same time last year. Following last year’s budget, undergraduate students whose household’s reckonable income is under €115,000 may now be eligible for financial support. SUSI is now on course to receive close to 110,000 grant applications this year.
"These improvements have now taken effect, but I am assured that SUSI will continue to take applications for support up to November. I would strongly urge students and parents to visit www.susi.ie for further information and to find out if they are eligible for a grant," Minister Troy concluded.