Two kinds of change
Income changes
- Loss of employment
- A permanent reduction in salary
- Retirement
- Ceasing to trade, if self-employed
The fall in income has to be likely to last for the duration of the course or the foreseeable future. A temporary dip does not meet that test.
Non-income changes
- A brother, sister or parent now in full-time further or higher education
- More dependent children in the household
- A change in your nationality or immigration status
- A permanent change of home address (this only affects the adjacent or non-adjacent rate)
- A change of course or college
The rule that catches the self-employed
SUSI says self-employment, farming and rental income are variable by nature, so a reduction in them is not a permanent change and cannot be taken into account. A sole trader whose profits halved in 2026 is still assessed on 2025. What does count is stopping trading altogether, and for that SUSI wants a notice of cessation or confirmation from Revenue that you have ceased. It states plainly that an accountant’s letter is not sufficient.
What happens when SUSI reassesses
For an income change, SUSI reassesses everyone on the application on their 2026 income, not only the person whose income fell. If one parent lost their job but the other got a raise, both figures come in. You may be asked for evidence of 2026 income for each of them.
Timing: a change between 1 January 2026 and the start of the year is assessed for the whole 2026/27 year. If the change happens during the academic year, SUSI says any award or adjustment takes effect from the month the change occurred.
A worked example
A family with three dependent children, the student living more than 30km from college. Household income in 2025 was €62,000. Assessed on that, the result is: no maintenance grant, with student contribution fully covered (€2,500).
In March 2026 one parent is made redundant and the household’s expected 2026 income drops to €38,500. Reassessed on that figure: Band 1: full maintenance, €4,722 a year (about €524.67 in each of nine instalments), plus student contribution fully covered (€2,500). The change came before the academic year began, so the whole year is assessed on it.
Had the redundancy come in November 2026 instead, the maintenance grant would start from November: seven of the nine instalments, about €3,672.69. Redundancy lump sums are not ignored: SUSI spreads them over the years of service and counts that share as income, which can reduce the gain. Run your own figures through the calculator with the expected 2026 income.
The non-income change most people miss
Same family, 2025 income €50,000, no change in income at all. Without another student in the house, the result is Band 3: part maintenance at €2,702 a year. When a sibling starts full-time college, every threshold rises (by €4,950 for Band 1), and the family becomes Band 1: full maintenance at €4,722. That is €2,020 a year more for one college letter.
How to ask
- Wait for a final decision on your application. A review cannot be requested before one.
- Log in to the student portal and open My Requests.
- Choose Review your Grant Decision and select the academic year.
- Pick Change in Circumstances as the ground and describe exactly what changed and when.
- Upload up to three supporting files, then submit.
If you already have a review or appeal open, SUSI asks you to wait for that outcome before sending another. A change of course on its own is handled differently, through the Course Change Notification form under My Course in the portal.
The evidence SUSI asks for
- Job ended: confirmation of cessation, for example a Pay and Tax Summary from Revenue myAccount or a P45.
- Pay cut: SUSI’s Current Annual Salary Form, completed and stamped by the employer.
- Retirement in 2026: a letter giving the retirement date, gross lump sum, years of pensionable service and contributions, and gross annual pension, plus confirmation that employment ended.
- Redundancy in 2026: an employer letter with the date, the gross lump sum and years of service, plus confirmation that employment ended.
- Stopped trading: a cessation certificate or Revenue confirmation.
- Income fell for medical reasons: SUSI’s Medical Declaration (Reduction in Income) Form, completed by your doctor and employer.
- Sibling or parent in college: a stamped letter from their college confirming registration for 2026/27.
The full list of accepted documents, and the ones SUSI refuses, is in our documents checklist.
If you need money before SUSI decides
A reassessment takes time. If a job loss leaves you short now, the Student Assistance Fund at your college exists for exactly this; it is separate from SUSI and you apply through the college access or student services office. Details are in other student grants.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a change of circumstances for SUSI?
Income changes: loss of employment, a permanent reduction in salary, retirement, or ceasing to trade if self-employed, where the drop is likely to last for the course or the foreseeable future. Non-income changes: a sibling or parent starting full-time further or higher education, more dependent children in the household, a change in nationality or immigration status, a permanent change of home address, and a change of course or college.
My self-employed income fell in 2026. Does that count?
No. SUSI treats self-employment, farming and rental income as variable by nature, so a fall in it is not a permanent change. The exception is ceasing to trade altogether, which counts, but SUSI wants a cessation certificate or confirmation from Revenue; an accountant’s letter is not enough.
How do I tell SUSI about a change of circumstances?
By requesting a review: log in to the student portal, go to My Requests, choose Review your Grant Decision, pick the academic year, select Change in Circumstances as the ground and describe what changed. You can upload up to three supporting files. You need a final decision on your application before you can request a review.
From when does SUSI pay after a change of circumstances?
If the change happens during the academic year, SUSI says any award or adjustment takes effect from the month in which the change occurred. A change between 1 January 2026 and the start of the year is assessed for the whole year.
Does a pay rise or new job have to be reported?
SUSI’s change of circumstances route is for falls in income and the non-income changes it lists. Separately, you must tell SUSI straight away if you leave or defer your course, and SUSI recovers any overpayment it finds, under the Student Support Act 2011.
Sources: SUSI’s change in circumstances, review and supporting documents pages, checked on 25 October 2026. The worked figures come from the same engine as the calculator, using the official 2026/27 tables.