SUSI Grant Ireland 2026/27: Rates, Income Limits and How to Apply

Adjacent means under 30 kilometres from the normal residence to college. Non-adjacent means 30 kilometres or more. The annual amount is normally paid in nine instalments.

The published tables use three household columns: fewer than four other dependent children, four to seven, and eight or more. Another relevant person in further or higher education increases each threshold by €4,785 or €4,950 depending on the band.

The calculator applies the relevant-person increase band by band rather than adding one generic amount to every threshold.

Full-time undergraduate grants can combine maintenance with tuition-fee or student-contribution support and also include higher fee-only income tiers. Postgraduate support can include maintenance and up to €6,270 in the Special Rate or up to €4,500 in other qualifying tiers. PLC support is maintenance only.

Part-time study uses separate rules and is outside this full-time calculator.

Dependent and mature dependent applicants generally include their own and parent or guardian income. Independent applicants generally include their own and any spouse, civil partner or cohabitant income.

SUSI applies scheme-specific treatment to income sources, exclusions and deductions. The 2026/27 holiday-earnings deduction can be up to €8,830. Do not substitute net salary for an official reckonable-income calculation where the household has complex income.

Revenue’s September 2026 consolidated guidance explains that qualifying SUSI grant payments are exempt from Income Tax, and qualifying VTOS or SOLAS further-education training allowances are exempt from Income Tax. Qualifying payments from comparable EU Member State or UK schemes are also addressed in the Revenue manual.

This is a tax treatment of payments received, not a rule for calculating household reckonable income for a SUSI application. Follow SUSI’s own income rules for the reference year. Do not enter an exempt grant as taxable salary in a take-home-pay calculator, and do not automatically subtract VTOS or a grant from reckonable household income without checking SUSI guidance.

Being under the Special Rate income limit is not enough. The applicant must qualify for an ordinary maintenance grant and an eligible long-term Department of Social Protection payment must be included in the reckonable income on 31 December 2025.

Use the official list of qualifying payments because payment names and conditions matter.

1. Confirm the applicant class and whose 2025 income must be included.
2. Check nationality, residency, course, progression and previous-education rules.
3. Apply through the official SUSI service and provide requested documents.
4. Monitor the tracker and answer information requests.
5. Confirm college registration and award details before relying on payment dates.