What Budget 2027 changed for SUSI
| Measure | Now (2026/27) | Budget 2027 | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance grant rates, all bands | Table below | Up 4.5% | January 2027 |
| Student contribution fee (maximum) | €2,500 | €150 lower, permanent | Date not yet published |
| Student contribution grants for families with two or more students in college | Same tiers as a one-student family, thresholds raised by €4,950 per extra student | New and enhanced grants, family income up to €150,000, about 11,000 students | September 2027 |
| Income thresholds for maintenance and fee grants | Table below | No change announced | n/a |
Maintenance grant rates up 4.5% from January 2027
Minister Chambers told the Dáil he is providing for “an increase of SUSI maintenance grant rates by four point five per cent from January”. The Expenditure Report puts it as an increase to all maintenance grant rates, with up to 54,000 students benefiting from January 2027. The Department has not published the new euro amounts per band yet. Our arithmetic on the current rates gives the rough size of the rise; SUSI will set the exact figures and rounding.
| Band | Adjacent now | Adjacent rise (about) | Non-adjacent now | Non-adjacent rise (about) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special rate of maintenance | €3,230 | +€145 a year | €7,936 | +€357 a year |
| Band 1: full maintenance | €1,774 | +€80 a year | €4,722 | +€212 a year |
| Band 2: part maintenance | €1,343 | +€60 a year | €3,532 | +€159 a year |
| Band 3: part maintenance | €975 | +€44 a year | €2,702 | +€122 a year |
| Band 4: part maintenance | €612 | +€28 a year | €1,866 | +€84 a year |
The calculator still shows the 2026/27 rates. We switch it when susi.ie publishes the new table, and the figures above are our estimate, not SUSI’s.
Student contribution fee cut by €150, permanently
Budget in Brief 2027: “There will be a permanent reduction to the student contribution fee of €150.” The current maximum is €2,500, set by Budget 2026, which cut it from €3,000. A €150 reduction on that maximum points to €2,350, but the Department has not yet published the new figure or the academic year it applies from. Until it does, this site keeps €2,500 as the fee that applies now and SUSI’s fee grant amounts stay as they are. Details on who pays it and when SUSI covers it are on the student contribution page.
New fee grants for families with two or more students in college, from September 2027
The Expenditure Report commits the Department to “enhanced and new student contribution fee grant supports for families with more than one dependent student attending higher education simultaneously”, with about 11,000 students from families on annual income up to €150,000 expected to benefit from September 2027. That upper limit is above today’s highest fee grant line of €120,000 (fewer than four children), so some families who get nothing now will qualify for 2027/28. The grant amounts, income bands and how they combine with the existing €4,950 per-student threshold increase are not in the Budget documents. They will be in the 2027/28 Student Grant Scheme when it is published.
Tax relief on fees: smaller disregard
One Finance measure matters to parents paying two contributions. The Tax Policy Changes paper says the disregard for tuition fee relief (currently €3,000 per claim) is being aligned with the level of the student contribution fee, so 20% relief can be claimed on the contribution paid for a second and subsequent student above the disregarded amount. The new disregard figure and start date depend on the Finance Bill.
Not published yet on 6 October 2026
- The new maintenance grant amounts per band (only the 4.5% figure is official).
- The start date and new maximum of the student contribution after the €150 cut.
- The amounts and income bands of the multi-student fee grants.
- 2027/28 income thresholds. Nothing in Budget 2027 moves them; SUSI publishes the scheme in spring 2027.
- The Department of Further and Higher Education press release and the susi.ie Budget 2027 page.
What Budget 2026 did: the precedent
A year ago, on 7 October 2025, Budget 2026 made five changes to student supports. They are the best guide to the shape a Budget announcement takes, and all five are now live in the 2026/27 scheme:
- The student contribution was cut permanently from €3,000 to €2,500. Earlier years had used a once-off €1,000 reduction instead.
- The special rate of maintenance income threshold rose from €27,400 to €28,600.
- All non-adjacent maintenance rates (students living 30km or more from college) were increased.
- The threshold for the €500 student contribution grant rose from €115,000 to €120,000.
- The postgraduate fee contribution grant rose from €4,000 to €4,500.
The measures took effect in two steps: some from January 2026, paid pro rata for the rest of 2025/26, and the rest from September 2026 with the new academic year. Budget 2027 uses the same two dates: the maintenance rise from January 2027, the multi-student fee grants from September 2027.
The 2026/27 figures still in force
These are the current numbers for a household with fewer than four dependent children and no other family member in college. Budget 2027 did not move any of the income thresholds. Larger families and households with two or more students have higher thresholds; the calculator handles those.
| Band | Income under | Adjacent (under 30km) | Non-adjacent (30km+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special rate of maintenance | €28,600 | €3,230 a year | €7,936 a year |
| Band 1: full maintenance | €47,010 | €1,774 a year | €4,722 a year |
| Band 2: part maintenance | €48,270 | €1,343 a year | €3,532 a year |
| Band 3: part maintenance | €51,040 | €975 a year | €2,702 a year |
| Band 4: part maintenance | €58,470 | €612 a year | €1,866 a year |
| Fee support (no maintenance) | Income under | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Full student contribution | €64,315 | €2,500 paid for you (or 50% of tuition fees) |
| Half student contribution | €71,300 | €1,250 paid for you |
| €500 student contribution grant | €120,000 | €500 off the contribution |
| Postgraduate fee contribution | €64,315 | Up to €4,500 towards fees |
| Postgraduate special rate | €28,600 | Tuition fees up to €6,270 plus maintenance |
Full tables, including the four-to-seven and eight-plus children columns, are on the grant rates page.
What Budget 2027 did not change
- Your 2026/27 award band and fee support. The only part that moves is the maintenance amount, up 4.5% from January 2027.
- The 2026/27 payment dates. SUSI pays on the published schedule; a January rise arrives as a bigger instalment on the same dates.
- The reference income year. 2027/28 applications will be assessed on 2026 income. A Budget moves rates and grants, never the year.
- The 30km adjacent / non-adjacent rule and the way dependent children raise the thresholds.
- Application dates. SUSI announces 2027/28 opening dates separately, usually in February or March; see the deadline page.
What to do now
- If you hold a 2026/27 grant: nothing. The 4.5% rise is applied by SUSI without a new application. Check your portal in the first week of January 2027 for the revised award letter.
- If your family has two or more students in college and household income is under €150,000: note the September 2027 start of the new fee grants. Apply when 2027/28 opens even if you were over the current fee grant lines.
- If you are starting college in September 2027: the 2027/28 scheme is the one that matters to you. Use the calculator now for the band, and come back when SUSI publishes the 2027/28 tables; we switch the figures the same week.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to reapply to SUSI to get the Budget 2027 increase?
No. The 4.5% rise in maintenance rates applies from January 2027, so SUSI applies it to existing 2026/27 awards and the higher amount shows up in your normal instalments. For 2027/28 you still renew as every year, and the renewal is assessed against the 2027/28 thresholds.
When do the Budget 2027 changes to SUSI start?
Maintenance grant rates rise by 4.5% from January 2027. The new and enhanced student contribution grants for families with more than one student in college start in September 2027. The Department has not yet published the date the permanent €150 cut to the student contribution takes effect.
Will my 2026/27 SUSI payments change in January 2027?
Yes. Minister Chambers announced an increase of 4.5% in SUSI maintenance grant rates from January, and the Expenditure Report says up to 54,000 students may benefit from January 2027. SUSI normally pays a January rise as a higher instalment for the remaining months rather than a lump sum. The exact euro amounts per band have not been published yet.
Does Budget 2027 change the income year SUSI looks at?
No. The reference year is fixed by the scheme: 2027/28 applications are assessed on 2026 household income, the same way 2026/27 was assessed on 2025 income. Budget 2027 did not announce new income thresholds; the only threshold figure in the documents is the €150,000 family income limit for the new multi-student fee grants.
Where are the official Budget 2027 SUSI figures published?
On gov.ie: the Budget statement by Minister Chambers (the 4.5% figure), the Budget 2027 Expenditure Report Part 2 (start dates and the 54,000 and 11,000 student estimates) and Budget in Brief 2027 (the €150 fee cut). The Department of Further and Higher Education press release and the susi.ie Budget 2027 page were not live when we checked on 6 October 2026. We link them here as soon as they are.
Sources: Budget 2027 measures from the Budget statement by Minister Chambers (4.5% maintenance rise, €150 fee cut), the Budget 2027 Expenditure Report, Part 2 (Further and Higher Education chapter: January 2027 and September 2027 start dates, 54,000 and 11,000 student estimates, €150,000 income limit), Budget in Brief 2027 and the Budget 2027 Tax Policy Changes paper (tuition fee relief disregard), all on gov.ie. 2026/27 rates and thresholds from susi.ie; Budget 2026 measures from the Department of Further and Higher Education Budget 2026 press release on gov.ie. Figures checked on 6 October 2026.