The maintenance grant for college students is to increase from next week.
In Budget 2024, the Government announced the grant would go up in January, with some students set to benefit by almost €350; the Student Assistance Fund will also receive a once off rise of €1.4 million to help ease cost of living pressures for families with children going to university.
“I am also providing additional supports to allow greater access for students already attending third level education,” Minister Paschal Donohue told TDs.
“[That] includes increases in the maintenance grant rates, restoration of maintenance grants to eligible postgraduate students on a similar basis to undergraduates and improvements to the thresholds for maintenance and student contribution grants, from September 2024.”
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said all grants will go up and certain students are now eligible to apply for them.
“We’re also reintroducing, for the first time in 13 years, maintenance grants worth up to €2,084 for eligible postgraduate students,” he said.
The Budget also cut undergraduate college fees to €2,000 and Minister Harris said he hoped the measures would make education a more affordable experience for people.
“[They] will really help families [and] put money back in their pockets at a time when I know the cost of living pressures can be real and acute for many,” he said.
Some students have previously told Newstalk they have decided to study abroad because third level education in Ireland is so expensive.
Main image: Students at Trinity College, Dublin. Image: Mark Henderson / Alamy