Student Universal Support Ireland Susi grant IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Student Universal Support Ireland (Susi)grant IMPORTANT INFORMATION

CLASSES OF GRANT • MAINTENANCE GRANT-money to help you live while at college. • FEE GRANT-payment of course fees if applicable. • A POST-GRADUATE FEE CONTRIBUTION

MAINTENANCE GRANT • This is a contribution towards the cost of living while at college. costs of a student. • The student will receive either 100%, 75%, 50%, 25% of the grant. Higher income families may just get their student services charge paid, or 50% of the student services charge paid. • There are no college fees for EU nationals.

• The maintenance grant is paid at either the adjacent (living at home) rate or • Non-adjacent (living more than 45 km away from home) rate. • So if you are living away from home you get more money.

FEE GRANT • If you are pursuing an approved undergraduate course in the state, and your fees are not being met under the Free Fees Scheme, you may be eligible for the tuition fee element of the grant. • Amount payable is dependent on income.

STUDENT CONTRIBUTION • While all students are entitled to have their fees paid under the Free Fees Scheme students are still entitled to pay a student contribution charge. • The student contribution charge is € 3 000 • If you are entitled to any portion of the maintenance grant, this is paid. • You do not have to pay this if you are doing a PLC course

Who can apply for a grant? • All students who want to do a course at an approved educational institute. Course must be at least one year. These courses include: – Post Leaving Certificate Courses(Level 5) – Higher Certificate Courses(Level 6) – Ordinary Degrees(Level 7) – Honours Degrees(Level 8)

An approved educational institute An A Post Leaving Certificate College (Crumlin /Ballyfermot / Inchicore etc) – An Institute of Technology (DIT /ITT) – A University (UCD/ NUIM/ DCU / Trinity ) – A college of Education (St. Patricks, Drumcondra, Marino) – An approved Educational Institute in the EU where the course is of at least 2 years duration. – An approved Educational Institute in Northern Ireland where they can undertake a Post-Graduate qualification.

REGULATIONS REGARDING NATIONALITY • You must be: v. Irish v. An EU National v. Have official Refugee Status v. Have been granted humanitarian leave to remain in Ireland v. Be married to an Irish national or the child of an Irish national. v. Stamp 4 is not sufficient – it must bear 4 EUFam

HOW TO APPLY • Log onto www. susi. ie. Beginning/mid May. • You have to answer list of questions relating to your family and income. • Your answers are then forwarded to SUSI. They will get back to let you know if you have been eligible. • You will be asked to forward documents relating to income. • The sooner you send in documents the sooner your grant will be processed.

• When you send in these documents they will be assessed. • Susi will then issue you with a final decision. • You will be paid your grant in 9 monthly instalments into a designated bank account.

FURTHER INFORMATION • All information relating to grant such as: – Age – Nationality – Income levels – Registration fee – Documents needed Is included on a handout in your packs or log onto www. studentfinance. ie

LEVELS OF MAINTENANCE GRANT LEVEL OF GRANT ADJACENT RATE STUDENT CONTRIBUTION PAID Special rate* (family 5, 915 income less than € 22, 000) 2, 375 YES Standard rate-100% 3, 025 1, 215 YES Standard rate-75% 2, 270 910 YES Standard rate-50% 1, 515 605 YES 755 305 YES Standard rate-25% NON-ADJACENT RATE

FAMILY INCOME LEVELS No of dependent children Special rate maintenance 100% 75% 50% 25% Exempt from SSC Fewer than 4 22, 703 5, 915(na) 2, 375(a) 39, 875 3, 025(na) 1, 215(a) 42, 235 2, 270(na) 910(a) 44, 720 1, 515(na) 605(a) 47, 205 755(na) 305(a) 51, 380 4 -7 22, 703 45, 165 46, 415 49, 145 51, 880 56, 460 8 or more 22, 703 49, 045 50, 400 53, 360 56, 320 61, 295 maintenance

Break down on weekly basis Type of maintenance grant Non-adjacent rate(greater than 45 km) Adjacent rate(less than 45 km) Standard maintenance Full- 108. 03 100% 43. 39 Standard maintenance Part 81. 02 -75% 32. 54 Standard maintenance Part 54. 01 -50% 21. 69 Standard maintenance Part 27 -25% 10. 84 Special rate-income less than € 22 000(on social welfare) 84. 82 211. 25

Studying abroad • Eligible students attending approved courses in approved institutions outside the Republic, at undergraduate level only, receive a maintenance grant from Susi. • There is no funding available towards fees and it should be noted that there is no funding available at further education or postgraduate education (except for some courses in 4 institutions in Northern Ireland) for students studying outside the state.

Postgraduate students • Students who are studying on an approved course in the Irish state or selected postgraduate courses in Northern Ireland are only eligible to receive a postgraduate fee contribution. • They are not eligible maintenance payments. to receive any

PART-TIME JOBS • Students are allowed to earn up to € 3, 809 which is not assessed for grant purposes. • Normally if you earn more than this and are resident with your parents from October 1 of the year before entry to your course, your income is assessed with your parents’ income.

What income is disregarded? Certain payments are disregarded when calculating reckonable income. These include: • Child benefit. • Family income supplement. • Disability allowance (paid to applicant) • Blind pension (when paid to applicant) • One parent family payments (means tested) where paid to the applicant.

• • • Guardian’s payment. Foster care allowance. Domiciliary allowance. Carer’s allowance. Students assistant fund. Student grant.

What is the reference period for calculating income? For the academic year 2017/2018 the reference period is from 1 January to 31 January 2016.

Divorced or separated parents With regard to divorced or separated parents, the income of the applicant and that of the parent with whom he/she lives will be taken into account. If parents are separated but remain living in the same house as the applicant, both incomes will be taken into account.