How to read the examples
Reckonable income is the household’s 2025 income as SUSI counts it: gross income of the parents (or of the student and their spouse if independent) with a short list of deductions, not take-home pay. Dependent children are counted as SUSI defines them, and the applicant is one of them. “Other family member in college” raises every threshold by €4,950 for the special rate and Band 1, and by €4,785 for Bands 2 to 4. Maintenance is paid in 9 monthly instalments.
Summary table
| Household | Result | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| One earner on €35,000, student moving to Dublin | Band 1: full maintenance | €4,722 | €524.67 |
| Same income, but the household is on a long-term welfare payment | Special rate of maintenance | €3,230 | €358.89 |
| Family on €48,000 with three children | Band 2: part maintenance | €1,343 | €149.22 |
| Family on €55,000 with a second child already in college | Band 3: part maintenance | €2,702 | €300.22 |
| Household on €62,000: too much for maintenance, not for fees | Fee support only | None | None |
| Household on €95,000 | Fee support only | None | None |
| Postgraduate on €40,000 household income | Band 1: full maintenance | €4,722 | €524.67 |
| PLC student on €30,000 household income | Band 1: full maintenance | €1,774 | €197.11 |
1. One earner on €35,000, student moving to Dublin
Two-parent household in Mayo, reckonable income €35,000 for 2025, two dependent children, the applicant is the only one in college and will live 190km from campus.
Input: Undergraduate · €35,000 reckonable income · 2 dependent children · 30km or more from college.
| Band | Band 1: full maintenance |
| Threshold applied | Income under €47,010 |
| Maintenance per year | €4,722 |
| Monthly instalment | €524.67 × 9 |
| Fee support | Student contribution fully covered (€2,500) |
Income is well under the Band 1 line, so this is full maintenance at the non-adjacent rate, plus the student contribution paid in full. Without a long-term social welfare payment in the income, the special rate is not available even though the income is low enough for it.
2. Same income, but the household is on a long-term welfare payment
Lone parent on One-Parent Family Payment, total reckonable income €25,000, two dependent children, applicant living at home 12km from college.
Input: Undergraduate · €25,000 reckonable income · 2 dependent children, eligible long-term welfare payment · under 30km from college.
| Band | Special rate of maintenance |
| Threshold applied | Income under €28,600 |
| Maintenance per year | €3,230 |
| Monthly instalment | €358.89 × 9 |
| Fee support | Student contribution fully covered (€2,500) |
The eligible payment unlocks the special rate, which is roughly double Band 1 at the same distance. Living under 30km from college means the adjacent figure applies, so moving out would more than double the grant again.
3. Family on €48,000 with three children
Both parents working, reckonable income €48,000, three dependent children, applicant commuting 20km to college.
Input: Undergraduate · €48,000 reckonable income · 3 dependent children · under 30km from college.
| Band | Band 2: part maintenance |
| Threshold applied | Income under €48,270 |
| Maintenance per year | €1,343 |
| Monthly instalment | €149.22 × 9 |
| Fee support | Student contribution fully covered (€2,500) |
Three children is still the "fewer than four" column, so the standard thresholds apply. €48,000 clears Band 1 by under €1,000 and lands in Band 2. A fourth dependent child would move every threshold up and put this family back in Band 1.
4. Family on €55,000 with a second child already in college
Reckonable income €55,000, two dependent children, the older sibling is in second year at another college, applicant will live 60km from campus.
Input: Undergraduate · €55,000 reckonable income · 2 dependent children, 1 other family member in college · 30km or more from college.
| Band | Band 3: part maintenance |
| Threshold applied | Income under €55,825 |
| Maintenance per year | €2,702 |
| Monthly instalment | €300.22 × 9 |
| Fee support | Student contribution fully covered (€2,500) |
Each other family member in full-time further or higher education raises every threshold by the band increment. On €55,000 with one student this household would be in Band 4, the smallest part-maintenance band; with the sibling counted it moves up to Band 3, and the yearly grant rises by several hundred euro. The sibling’s own grant is assessed the same way, with this applicant counted as the "other student".
5. Household on €62,000: too much for maintenance, not for fees
Reckonable income €62,000, two dependent children, applicant living at home.
Input: Undergraduate · €62,000 reckonable income · 2 dependent children · under 30km from college.
| Band | None (fee support only) |
| Threshold applied | Income under €64,315 |
| Maintenance per year | None |
| Monthly instalment | None |
| Fee support | Student contribution fully covered (€2,500) |
Over the Band 4 line, so no monthly payment. But the income is under the full-contribution tier, so SUSI pays the whole student contribution to the college. For many families this fee-only award is worth more than the smaller maintenance bands.
6. Household on €95,000
Reckonable income €95,000, two dependent children, applicant living away from home.
Input: Undergraduate · €95,000 reckonable income · 2 dependent children · 30km or more from college.
| Band | None (fee support only) |
| Threshold applied | Income under €120,000 |
| Maintenance per year | None |
| Monthly instalment | None |
| Fee support | €500 off the student contribution |
Distance does not matter here because there is no maintenance. The only support left is the €500 student contribution grant, available right up to the €120,000 line. It is still worth applying: €500 off the contribution for a two-minute renewal each year.
7. Postgraduate on €40,000 household income
Taught master’s, reckonable income €40,000, two dependent children, living 45km from college.
Input: Postgraduate · €40,000 reckonable income · 2 dependent children · 30km or more from college.
| Band | Band 1: full maintenance |
| Threshold applied | Income under €47,010 |
| Maintenance per year | €4,722 |
| Monthly instalment | €524.67 × 9 |
| Fee support | Postgraduate fee contribution up to €4,500 |
Since 2024/25 postgraduates use the same maintenance bands as undergraduates, so this is Band 1 maintenance at the non-adjacent rate. Fee support is different: a fee contribution up to the postgraduate cap rather than the student contribution, paid directly to the college.
8. PLC student on €30,000 household income
Post Leaving Cert course at a further education college, reckonable income €30,000, one dependent child, living at home 8km away.
Input: PLC · €30,000 reckonable income · 1 dependent child · under 30km from college.
| Band | Band 1: full maintenance |
| Threshold applied | Income under €47,010 |
| Maintenance per year | €1,774 |
| Monthly instalment | €197.11 × 9 |
| Fee support | No fee support |
PLC students get maintenance on the same bands but no fee element, because PLC courses have no student contribution. Payments for PLC start a month later than higher education, in October rather than September.
Three things the examples show
- Distance is the biggest lever. At every band the non-adjacent rate is two and a half to three times the adjacent one. The 30km line is measured from your normal residence to the college, by the shortest practical route.
- Thresholds move with the family. A fourth dependent child or a sibling in college can turn a refusal into Band 1. If either applies to you and SUSI did not count it, ask for a review (see appeals and reviews).
- Fee-only awards are worth applying for. Between the Band 4 line and €120,000 there is no monthly payment, but the college still receives between €500 and the full student contribution on your behalf.
Figures computed from the 2026/27 income thresholds and grant rates published on susi.ie. Examples are illustrative households, not real applicants. Checked on 5 October 2026.