“Deputy Thomas Pringle has called on Government to address eligible income criteria for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) special rate awards, saying many hard-pressed students and parents would benefit …” (more)
[Donegal Daily, 5 November]
“At lunchtime today, the main quad at TU Dublin’s new Grangegorman campus was buzzing with students. A welcome sight given the devastation of campus life last year. However, a lecturer who works at the college told me that the college is concerned that not all students are throwing themselves back into college life as they once would have …” (more)
[Emma O Kelly, RTÉ News, 14 October]
“The number of third level students being deemed eligible to receive State SUSI grants continues to fall, while numbers attending college continue to rise, data received by RTÉ News shows …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 14 October]
“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, and Minister of State for Skills and Further Education, Niall Collins, have today announced a series of measures as part of Budget 2022. The package includes …” (more)
[DFHERIS, 12 October]
“Student grants will rise by a flat rate €200 from next September. The ‘across the board’ increase will benefit about 62,000 students who receive maintenance support to help with cost-of-living increases …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 12 October]
“The first increase in student grants in more than a decade will be announced in tomorrow’s Budget. Agreement has been reached on raising grant levels as well as changing the eligibility criteria to allow more students to fall within qualifying income thresholds …” (more)
[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 11 October]
“Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the terms on which post-graduate study can receive support towards fees and maintenance; and if there are plans to extend these schemes …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 5 October]
“The cost of college is frequently a barrier to accessing education for many students, and with the first installment of the SUSI grant not set to be paid until October 8th, it is going to be particularly hard this year for many to make ends meet. This week, The University Times spoke to recipients of the grant about the later-than-normal first payment …” (more)
[University Times, 6 September]
“Students in receipt of the SUSI grant have said they will struggle financially due to the late payment of the first instalment on October 8th. The date of the first instalment, SUSI said, is due to later registration dates in colleges as a result of the late issuing of CAO offers …” (more)
[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 2 September]
“Our Social Affairs Correspondent Ailbhe Conneely has this report on calls for the Government to widen access to the Student Universal Support Scheme …” (podcast)
[RTÉ – News at One, 25 August]
“Sir, – Peter is a bright lad from Kerry. His heart is set on studying veterinary medicine in UCD, but he didn’t list that course on his CAO application form. Peter’s family can’t come up with €14,000 per annum to cover Peter’s college costs. His parents earn a combined gross annual income of €40,000, which makes Peter ineligible for a college grant …” (more)
[Billy Ryle, Irish Times, 25 August]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has said that SUSI recipients will struggle financially at the start of term due to the late date of the first payment of the grant. Recipients will not receive the first instalment of the maintenance grant until October 8th – several weeks after college begins for most …” (more)
[Mairead Maguire, University Times, 24 August]
“The breakdown of the cost of college will surprise few in third level. But at this time of year, when the cost of going back to school is all over the media, students deserve a look in, writes the Editorial Board. Going to college is now simply accepted as being expensive in Ireland. It shouldn’t be …” (more)
[University Times, 22 August]
“After months of fighting for the exclusion of PUP payments in assessment for SUSI, Sinn Féin spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Rose Conway-Walsh TD, has received assurance that no students will be denied or pushed out of SUSI for accepting the PUP. The Minister has confirmed on the floor of the Dáil that all students have the right to reapply based on the 2021 year and have PUP earned by a student excluded from the calculation. Teachta Conway-Walsh said …” (more)
[Sinn Féin, 13 July]
“Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of SUSI funding that goes towards covering the student contribution charge in each year since 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 29 April]
“Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider amending the Student Support Act 2011 to support Irish students studying within the EU who would qualify for SUSI support if they were studying in Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that third-level education fees are lower in most other EU states than they are in Ireland; the estimated cost of such a change; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 28 April]
“The Society of St Vincent de Paul have joined calls by the Union of Students in Ireland to reform the SUSI grant scheme ahead of a full return to college. The funding model has been described as ‘not fit for purpose’ and no longer in line with the cost of living …” (more)
[Teresa Mannion, RTÉ News, 23 April]
“Emails sent to Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris have revealed some of the barriers facing third-level students when it comes to accessing financial support for their studies. Students who are unemployed, homeless, or parents of young children are among those who wrote to Mr Harris last summer about the Susi grant for third-level education …” (more)
[Jess Casey, Irish Examiner, 21 April]
“Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the data provided on foot of a recent freedom of information request (details supplied); the analysis his Department has carried out across third-level institutions which fall under the responsibility of his Department into the fining of students for the late payment of registration fees; if this issue will be examined as part of the ongoing review of Higher Education Authority legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dail written answers, 1 April]
“Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the post-Brexit treatment of Irish students attending UK universities in terms of funding and State support; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 31 March]
