studentgrantcalculator.ie

SUSI · academic year 2026/27

SUSI grant calculator: see which grant your family falls into.

A free SUSI grant calculator for 2026/27. The SUSI student grant is decided by fixed income thresholds, not luck. Each threshold moves with the size of your family, so a sibling already in college can lift the line above your income.

Grant estimate · AY 2026/27

Your indicative award

I’m applying as
€

Gross income of parents or guardians (or you and your spouse if independent), less allowed deductions

Including you, if you’re a dependent student

Siblings or a parent studying full-time, not you

Home to college

Income thresholds for your family

Band 1
<€47,010
Band 2
<€48,270
Band 3
<€51,040
Band 4
<€58,470
Fees 100%
<€64,315
Fees 50%
<€71,300
€500 off
<€120,000

your household €42,000

Band 1: full maintenance

€4,722

maintenance a year, about €524.67 a month over 9 payments

Fees
Student contribution fully covered (€2,500)
Income limit
under €47,010
Apply and verify at susi.ie

Worked examples

Three families, three different letters.

€42,000 · 2 children · 40km away

Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
Fees 100%
Fees 50%
€500 off

Under the €47,010 Band 1 line, so full maintenance at the non-adjacent rate plus the student contribution.

Band 1€4,722/yr + €2,500 fees

€55,000 · 5 children · 10km away

Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
Fees 100%
Fees 50%
€500 off

Five children puts the family in the 4 to 7 column: Band 3 line is €55,940, so part maintenance at the adjacent rate.

Band 3€975/yr + €2,500 fees

€90,000 · 2 children

Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
Fees 100%
Fees 50%
€500 off

Over every maintenance band and both fee tiers, but under €120,000, so €500 off the student contribution.

Fees only€500 off fees

Method

How the estimate is built

What the calculator uses

Three official tables for 2026/27, copied line by line from susi.ie: the undergraduate income thresholds and grant award rates, the postgraduate thresholds (fee contribution up to €4,500, special rate fees up to €6,270), and the PLC table. The logic is the same one SUSI publishes: pick the column for your number of dependent children, add €4,950 or €4,785 for every other family member in college, then test your income against the special rate, Bands 1 to 4 and the fee-only tiers in turn. Every threshold and rate is pinned by an automated test that fails if a number drifts from the source.

What it cannot know

It takes the reckonable income you type in. It cannot see your Revenue record, apply the deductions SUSI allows (holiday earnings up to €8,830, pension contributions, one-off overtime, Rent a Room income), or check nationality, residency and progression rules. It does not know whether your course is on the approved list or whether a repeat year applies. Use the income thresholds guide to work out your reckonable figure first, and treat the result as a well-sourced estimate, not a decision.

Guides

Everything else you’ll want to know

SUSI grant rates & income thresholds →

Every 2026/27 rate and threshold in plain tables: special rate, Bands 1 to 4, fee tiers, monthly amounts, and how family size moves the limits.

Income thresholds by family size →

The full 2026/27 table, the increase per extra student in college, what counts as reckonable income, what is deducted, and three worked examples.

SUSI payment dates 2026/27 →

First payment 10 September 2026 (PLC: 15 October). The full month-by-month calendar, plus what must be in place before the money lands.

What your SUSI status means →

Submitted, documents requested, awarded, refused, cancelled: what each stage in the portal means, what to do next, and how long it takes.

SUSI deadline & closing dates →

When applications opened, the priority closing dates that have passed, the final closing date, and what happens if you apply late.

Applying late for SUSI →

Priority date versus final closing date, what a late application costs you, back pay, and the Student Assistance Fund and 1916 Bursary as fallbacks.

SUSI for postgraduates →

The €4,500 fee contribution, the €6,270 special rate, income limits up to €64,315, which masters and PhD courses qualify and what is not covered.

SUSI special rate →

€7,936 a year for households under €28,600 on a long-term welfare payment. The three conditions, every qualifying payment, the 65-week jobseeker rule.

Other student grants: SAF, 1916 Bursary, FSD →

The money that is not SUSI: Student Assistance Fund for anyone in difficulty, the €5,000 or €2,000 a year 1916 Bursary (closes 9 October), the Fund for Students with Disabilities and accommodation assistance.

SUSI appeal and review →

Refused or in the wrong band? The grounds SUSI accepts, the 30-day limit, the portal steps, change of circumstances, and the Student Grants Appeals Board.

Student contribution fee →

The €2,500 charge on top of free fees: who pays it, the income limits where SUSI pays 100%, 50% or €500 of it, and the tax relief that applies.

How to apply for SUSI →

Step by step: documents, the reference tax year, and the mistakes that delay first payments.

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Questions

Questions people ask

How much is the SUSI grant for 2026/27?

The full (Band 1) maintenance grant is €4,722 a year if you live 30km or more from college, or €1,774 if you live closer. The special rate (for households on a long-term social welfare payment with income under €28,600) is €7,936 non-adjacent or €3,230 adjacent. Part rates (Bands 2 to 4) run from €3,532 down to €612.

What income qualifies for a SUSI grant?

For a family with fewer than 4 dependent children, full maintenance requires reckonable income under €47,010, and part maintenance is available up to €58,470. Fee-only support continues further: 100% student contribution under €64,315, 50% under €71,300, and a €500 contribution grant under €120,000. Thresholds rise with more children and with other family members in college.

What is reckonable income?

Your household’s gross income from all sources in the reference tax year (2025 for the 2026/27 academic year). Usually that means your parents’ income, or yours and your spouse’s if you’re independent. Some things are deducted or disregarded, like pension contributions within limits and the first €8,830 of your own holiday earnings.

How is the SUSI grant paid?

Maintenance is paid monthly into your bank account in 9 instalments across the academic year, so a €4,722 grant works out around €525 a month. Fee grants go directly to your college, not to you.

What is the adjacent vs non-adjacent rate?

If your normal residence is 30km or more from your college you get the higher non-adjacent rate; under 30km you get the adjacent rate. The difference is big: €4,722 vs €1,774 for full maintenance.

Do I have to pay the student contribution if I get SUSI?

If you qualify for any maintenance band or for the 100% fee tier, SUSI pays the full €2,500 student contribution for you (2026/27 rate, after Budget 2026’s permanent €500 cut). Households up to €71,300 get half paid; up to €120,000 get €500 off.

When should I apply for SUSI?

As early as you can. Applications for 2026/27 opened on 1 April 2026 (5 March for renewals). The priority closing dates were 11 June (renewals) and 9 July (new applications); applying after them is still allowed until the final closing date, usually early November, but your first payment may arrive later. You don’t need a CAO offer or college place first.

Is this calculator official?

No. It applies the official 2026/27 income thresholds and rates published by SUSI, but the real assessment considers your full circumstances and documentation. Treat this as a solid first estimate, then apply at susi.ie.

Sources and method

Every threshold, rate and date on this site is copied from the official 2026/27 tables published by SUSI and cross-checked against Citizens Information and the Student Grant Scheme 2026 statutory instrument. Nothing is estimated by us. The calculator applies those published numbers in the same order SUSI does: special rate first, then Bands 1 to 4, then the fee-only tiers.

Figures last checked against susi.ie on 22 September 2026. A weekly watcher re-reads the SUSI tables and flags any change. SUSI makes the actual decision on your application; treat this site as a well-sourced first estimate.

Other student tools

Grant rates 2026/27Worked examples: 8 householdsBudget 2027 and SUSIIncome thresholdsPayment datesDeadline and closing datesLate applicationsWhat your SUSI status meansPostgraduate grantsSpecial rateOther grants: SAF, 1916 Bursary, FSDAppeals and reviewsStudent contribution feeHow to applyAbout this siteContact

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