Three in four students have not claimed a grant that would give them a €500 reduction from the student contribution fee, according to Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation Simon Harris.
Budget 2023 introduced a measure allowing students coming from households earning between between €62,000 and €100,000 annually to apply for a grant of €500 towards their contribution fees.
Despite 40,000 students being eligible for the scheme, the Department for Higher Education said recent figures show that only 10,000 have applied so far.
Harris has urged eligible students to claim the grant.
“We have been working hard to reduce the cost of going to college for students and their families by putting money back into people’s pockets,” he said.
“That’s why we have brought in important changes for this academic year so that more people can avail of the supports available.
“Today I am encouraging students and their families to go to susi.ie and to use the eligibility reckoner and take advantage of the supports that are there to reduce the cost of education.”
Along with this grant, the Department increased the household threshold for students eligible for a €1,500 reduction from €55,240 to €62,000. They also increased the amount a student on grants can earn over the summer from €4,500 to €6,552.
Also, the eligibility period for mature students who wish to return to do an approved course at PLC, undergraduate or postgraduate level and have not previously completed a course has been reduced from 5 years to 3 years.
