Online student grant system opens 7 years late

An online grant application system aimed at ending delays for thousands of college students has opened seven years after first being announced.

Plans for the handling of grant applications by a single awarding body were first revealed by then education minister Mary Hanafin in 2005.

More than 40% of undergraduates receive some level of State support and almost 72,500 benefited last year but late payments have dogged the system for many years.

However, the new system — Student Universal Support Ireland — is only available this year to first-time applicants, students changing courses or those progressing to a new college programme.

Around 32,000 first-time applicants qualified for grants in the last college year.

The plan is that grants will be approved once a student accepts a college place and monthly payments will be made. This should end the huge disparities faced by students on the timing of application decisions and payments, depending on which council or VEC they applied to in the past.

“Many students have had to wait for lengthy periods for their grants in the past and faced undue hardship as a result of these delays. Now, once they are approved, they will receive monthly electronic transfers into their bank accounts during the academic year,” said Education Minister Ruairi Quinn.

A student does not need to know which course they will be on before applying to SUSI, which is being run by City of Dublin VEC. Applicants or their families can supply their details online and post copies of relevant documents showing income and other details if they are deemed eligible for a grant.

Anyone who is already receiving a grant who is moving on to the next year of his or her course must still apply to their local council or vocational education committee.

SUSI will cater for all grant applicants within three to four years and the phased reduction of staff handling grants, from 170 people in 66 councils and VECs, to 65 at SUSI, will save taxpayers €2.4m next year and €5.6m a year from 2015.

The Department of Education has a €336m budget for student support this year, almost €20m less than last year’s spend. Despite rising numbers of eligible students, the cost is falling because of a 3% cuts in grants and the withdrawal of grants from almost 7,000 postgraduate students.

The supports range from exemptions of the €2,250 student contribution to a special grant of more than €5,915 for students from families in the lowest income brackets.

* Online applications can be made at www.studentfinance.ie. Further information at www.facebook.com/susisupport, by email ([e-mail]) or the SUSI Support Desk: 0761 08 7874 (Monday-Friday: 9am-10pm, Saturday: 9am-6pm).