IE
S.I. No. 70/2025 - Student Grant Scheme 2025
Table of Provisions (43)
Statutory Text (43 Articles)
2. Carer’s Allowance
3. One Parent Family Payment
4. Jobseekers Allowance Transition
5. Deserted Wife’s Allowance
6. Disability Allowance
8. Jobseeker’s Allowance (in respect of a period of 65 consecutive weeks of unemployment during which an applicant was in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance)*
9. State Pension (Non-Contributory)
10. Guardian’s Payment (Non-Contributory)
11. Pre-retirement allowance
12. Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension
13. Supplementary Welfare Allowance (where held for 12 consecutive calendar months)
Social Insurance Payments
14. Benefit Payment for 65 year olds
15. Carer’s Benefit
16. Deserted Wife’s Benefit
17. Invalidity Pension
18. Incapacity Supplement
19. Occupational Injuries Death Benefit (Orphan’s Pension)
20. Occupational Injuries Benefit — Death Benefit (Widow or Widower’s Pension)
21. State Pension (Contributory)
22. Guardian’s Payment (Contributory)
23. Jobseeker’s Benefit*
24. Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension
Designated Programmes
25. Back to Education Allowance (Second Level and Third Level Options)
26. Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA)
27. Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
28. Community Employment Scheme
29. Rural Social Scheme
32. Further Education and Training (FET) Courses, including Apprenticeships
33. Part-time job incentive scheme
34. Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)
Others
35. Foster Care and Aftercare Allowances or Adoption Maintenance Allowance where paid in respect of the applicant
36. Independent Living Allowance for Young People in Residential Care
37. Working Family Payment / Family Income Supplement (FIS)
38. In receipt of payments under the FIT (Fastrack to IT) initiative equivalent to a social welfare payment
39. Partial Capacity Benefit where the recipient has an underlying entitlement to Invalidity Pension
40. Participants on a training course approved by a Government Department, State Agency or Area Partnership and who were in receipt of an eligible payment prior to progressing to the programme
41. Grant aided employees in Community Services Programmes (formerly social economy enterprises)
*Combined periods of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Jobseeker’s Benefit and other eligible payments for purposes of meeting the prescribed period of 65 consecutive weeks of unemployment during which an applicant was in receipt of either Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit.
The Department of Social Protection Illness Benefit or COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit or COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment or Maternity Benefit can also be used to combine periods of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Jobseeker’s Benefit provided a period of Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit comes directly before and directly after the period of Illness Benefit or COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit or COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment or Maternity Benefit.
Periods on the Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS), JobBridge, National Internship Scheme or the Work Placement Experience Programme can also be combined with periods on other listed eligible payments provided a period on an eligible payment comes directly before and directly after the period on the Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS), JobBridge, National Internship Scheme or the Work Placement Experience Programme.
SCHEDULE 3
Annual rates of maintenance grant for the 2025/26 academic year
Non-Adjacent Rate
Adjacent Rate
Special rate of maintenance
€7,586
€3,230
Standard rate—Full Maintenance Band 1
€4,292
€1,774
Standard rate—Part Maintenance Band 2
€3,332
€1,343
Standard rate—Part Maintenance Band 3
€2,502
€975
Standard rate—Part Maintenance Band 4
€1,666
€612
SCHEDULE 4
Maximum overall limits for a fee grant for the 2025/26 academic year
Table 1
Undergraduate Tuition Fee Element
In respect of the following courses
Maximum fee limit Full (100%) grant in respect of tuition fees
Maximum fee limit Part (50%) grant in respect of tuition fees
Approved undergraduate courses to which the Free Fees Schemes applies.
100% of the EU rate of fee
50% of the EU rate of fee
Approved undergraduate courses provided in the State to which the Free Fees Schemes does not apply.
€6,270
€3,135
Table 2
Student Contribution Element
Rate
Full (100%) grant in respect of the student contribution charge
€3,000
Part (50%) grant in respect of the student contribution charge
€1,500
Part (€500) grant in respect of the student contribution charge
€500
Table 3
Field Trip Element
[Calculation of value available towards compulsory costs]
A student or tuition student who would have qualified for 100% tuition fee element of a fee grant but for the Free Fees Schemes and was awarded a grant towards the student contribution charge.
Maximum Fee Limit
€6,270
Less
the tuition fee claimed from the State by the institution under the Free Fees Schemes
-€x,xxx
Less
Student Contribution
€3,000
Equals
maximum amount if any available towards field trip element
€y,yyy
Student or tuition student who qualifies for 100% undergraduate tuition fees or postgraduate tuition fees under the scheme of grants.
Max Fee Limit Amount
€6,270
Less
EU rate of fee applicable to the course/invoiced to the student
-€x,xxx
Equals
the maximum amount if any available towards field trip element
€y,yyy
Table 4
Postgraduate Grants
In respect of the following courses
Maximum fee limit for grant in respect of tuition fees
Postgraduate Fee Contribution
Approved postgraduate courses provided in the State or Northern Ireland.
€6,270
€4,000
The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform consents to the making of the foregoing Scheme.
GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform,
6 March, 2025.
JACK CHAMBERS,
Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.
GIVEN under my Official Seal,
6 March, 2025.
JAMES LAWLESS,
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(
This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.
)
This Scheme of Grant is made pursuant to powers conferred on the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science under the
Student Support Act 2011
.
This Scheme may be cited as the Student Grant Scheme 2025.
42. Where an applicant is aggrieved by a determination of an appeals officer under section 20(5) of the Act, he or she may, pursuant to section 21 of the Act, appeal against that determination to the Appeals Board.
SCHEDULE 1
Reckonable Income Limits for the 2025/26 academic year
1.
Reckonable income limits
The period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 is the reference period for the academic year 2025/26.
A tuition student does not qualify for any maintenance grants. The income limits that apply to tuition students are outlined in Tables C, D, E & G of this Schedule.
PLC students
Table A
Income limits for maintenance grants (as specified in Schedule 3)
To qualify for
Special Rate*
Standard rate
Full maintenance
Band 1
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 2
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 3
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 4
No. of dependent children
Less than 4
€27,400
€47,010
€48,270
€51,040
€58,470
4 to 7
€30,030
€51,520
€52,900
€55,940
€64,080
8 or more
€32,555
€55,850
€57,345
€60,635
€69,465
Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table A for Maintenance Grants**
+ increment for each additional relevant person
+ € 4,950
+ €4,950
+ €4,785
+ €4,785
+ €4,785
* To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance grant the reckonable income on 31 December 2024 must include an eligible payment listed in Schedule 2.
** Increments which may be added to the relevant income limits.
Undergraduate students
Table B
: Income limits for maintenance grants (as specified in Schedule 3)
To qualify for
Special Rate*
Standard rate
Full maintenance
Band 1
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 2
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 3
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 4
No. of dependent children
Less than 4
€27,400
€47,010
€48,270
€51,040
€58,470
4 to 7
€30,030
€51,520
€52,900
€55,940
€64,080
8 or more
€32,555
€55,850
€57,345
€60,635
€69,465
Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table B for Maintenance Grants**
+ increment for each additional relevant person
+ €4,950
+ € 4,950
+ €4,785
+€4,785
+€4,785
* To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance grant the reckonable income on 31 December 2024 must include an eligible payment listed in Schedule 2.
** Increments which may be added to the relevant income limits.
Any maintenance grant awarded under the income limits in Table B will also include an award for the full student contribution grant, where the student contribution is chargeable.
Table C
Income limits for the student contribution grant (as specified in Schedule 4)
To qualify for
Student Contribution
100%
Student Contribution
50%
Student Contribution
€500
No. of dependent children
Less than 4
€64,315
€71,300
€115,000
4 to 7
€70,490
€78,145
€126,040
8 or more
€76,410
€84,710
€136,630
Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table C for Student Contribution Grants**
+ increment for each additional relevant person
+ €4,950
+ €4,950
+ €4,950
** Increments which may be added to the relevant income limits.
Table D
Income limits for tuition fees (as specified in Schedule 4)
To qualify for
(i) 100% tuition fees
(ii) Field trip expenses
50% tuition fees
No. of dependent children
Less than 4
€58,470
€64,315
4 to 7
€64,080
€70,490
8 or more
€69,465
€76,410
Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table D for tuition fee grants**
+ increment for each additional relevant person
+€4,785
+€4,950
** Increments which may be added to the relevant income limits.
Postgraduate students
Table E
Income limits for tuition fees (as specified in Schedule 4)
To qualify for
(i) Tuition fees *
(ii) Field trip expenses
No. of dependent children
Less than 4
€27,400
4 to 7
€30,030
8 or more
€32,555
Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table E for tuition fees **
+ increment for each additional relevant persons
+ € 4,950
* To be eligible for tuition fees the conditions for the special rate of maintenance grant must be satisfied.
** Increments which may be added to the relevant income limits.
Table F
: Income Limits for Maintenance Grants (as specified in Schedule 3)
To qualify for
Special Rate*
Standard rate
Full maintenance
Band 1
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 2
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 3
Standard rate
Part maintenance
Band 4
No. of dependent children
Less than 4
€27,400
€47,010
€48,270
€51,040
€58,470
4 to 7
€30,030
€51,520
€52,900
€55,940
€64,080
8 or more
€32,555
€55,850
€57,345
€60,635
€69,465
Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table F for Maintenance Grants**
+ increment for each additional relevant person
+ €4,950
+ € 4,950
+ €4,785
+€4,785
+€4,785
* To be eligible for the special rate of maintenance grant the reckonable income on 31 December 2024 must include an eligible payment listed in Schedule 2.
** Increments which may be added to the relevant income limits.
Table G
Income limits for postgraduate fee contribution (as specified in Schedule 4)
To qualify for
Postgraduate Fee Contribution
No. of dependent children
Less than 4
€64,315
4 to 7
€70,490
8 or more
€76,410
Additional increments that may be applied to the income limits in Table G for postgraduate fee contribution**
+ increment for each additional relevant person
+ €4,950
** Increments which may be applied to the relevant income limits.
In the 2025/26 academic year, where the applicant plus one or more relevant persons are attending an approved full-time course for the purposes of this Scheme, an approved part-time course or a full-time course of at least one year’s duration in further or higher education and training in the State, any other Member State or a relevant specified jurisdiction leading to a major award at Levels 5 to 10, of the framework of qualifications or to an equivalent qualification made by a designated awarding body in the State, another Member State or a relevant specified jurisdiction the reckonable income limits for each of the rates of grant in Tables A, B, C, D, E, F & G may be increased by an additional increment as identified.
2.
Holiday Earnings
A deduction of up to a maximum amount of €8,424 may be applied to student earnings outside of term time but within the reference period.
SCHEDULE 2
Eligible Long-term payments for the special rate of maintenance grant for the 2025/26 academic year
As at 31 December 2024, the reckonable income must include one of the eligible payments listed in this Schedule, or its equivalent from a Member State or a relevant specified jurisdiction, net of—
(a) income disregards (as set out in article 22(4) of this Scheme); and
(b) Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC), where paid by the Department of Social Protection.
Social Assistance Payments
Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in
“Iris Oifigiúil” of
11
th March,
2025.
ARRANGEMENT OF SCHEME
CONTENTS
Part 1
Preliminary and general
1.
Citation