Nearly 9,500 students to get first grant payment within weeks

Almost 9,500 college students are due to get their first grant payments within weeks through the new online application system.

But the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) organisation running the scheme is awaiting proof of income and other documents from over 38,000 students before their applications can be progressed.

SUSI was set up as a sub-unit of City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee for all new applicants as an alternative to seeking grants through the 66 councils and VECs.

These bodies will continue to process renewals for existing grant holders over the next two years.

Just over 74,500 online applications were started with SUSI and 56,604 completed forms were submitted up to the official closing date of Aug 31. Almost 4,700 were received in the past three weeks but may have to wait to be processed.

The process allows applicants and their families to submit financial details for initial assessment before any proof of earnings is required, and 47,788 were deemed to fall within the income thresholds and have provisionally qualified for support. Of the 55,368 provisionally assessed up to earlier this week, 7,580 applications were refused or cancelled.

Some 38,382 students have yet to return the documents needed to allow their applications proceed to completion. SUSI allows for photocopies of original documents to be sent back, unlike the previous system for new applicants.

“The timely completion of the award process, and the subsequent grant payment depends on how quickly the student returns the required documentation. SUSI is contacting all of these applicants by email and text message to ensure that the supporting documentation is returned so that they may proceed to final decision stage,” a spokesperson said.

“Already 2,075 applications have been fully approved pending confirmation of final course acceptance, a further 2,270 are at final decision stage and some 5,061 document packs are being validated prior to final decision.”

SUSI expects most of those fully approved, subject to registration on their course, and those at final decision stage or whose documents are being validated, should receive the first grant instalment in mid-October. All those who will have submitted the necessary supporting documentation in time should also be in line for the first payment.

As well as receiving grants of up to €5,915, all recipients will have their €2,250 student contribution paid. Around 42% of college students get some payment but cuts to the rates and the exclusion of new postgraduate students see the total student support budget cut by almost €20m to €336m.