A note on wording
SUSI describes the path of an application on susi.ie in stages: submit, return requested documents, receive a decision that is either awarded or refused, then bank details and college confirmation before payment. The tracker in the portal uses short labels for those same stages, and the exact phrasing can change between years. Match your status to the stage below rather than the exact words. If a label genuinely puzzles you, the Support Desk (0818 888 777, [email protected]) will read it back to you in plain English.
Every SUSI status, in order
Application in progress (not submitted)
What it means. You have started the form but not sent it. The portal shows a percentage complete and an Edit Application button. SUSI has not seen it yet and it is not in any queue.
What to do. Finish every section and press Submit. A saved-but-unsubmitted form counts for nothing at the closing date.
Typical timeline. Entirely up to you.
Submitted / application received
What it means. Your application is in SUSI’s system with a W2627 reference number. It is waiting for a processor. The tracker confirms receipt.
What to do. Nothing, except watch your email and portal. Note the W number; every document and phone call needs it.
Typical timeline. Priority applicants: assessed in time for September. Others: in date order of receipt.
Provisional assessment / documents requested
What it means. SUSI has assessed what you declared and needs evidence for some of it. A checklist letter names the exact documents (payslips, Statement of Liability, proof of address, a social welfare statement and so on). This is the stage most applications pass through.
What to do. Send everything on the checklist together, with your W number on each page, by the deadline on the letter. If a document will be late, tell the Support Desk before the deadline rather than after.
Typical timeline. The clock stops until the documents arrive. Each incomplete batch adds weeks.
Documents received / under review
What it means. Your paperwork has landed and is in the review queue. Reviews happen in date order of receipt. SUSI may come back for more if something is unclear or new information appears.
What to do. Wait. Check the tracker shows the documents as received; if it does not after a fortnight, contact [email protected].
Typical timeline. Usually a few weeks in summer; longer at the September peak.
Awarded
What it means. You have been offered a grant. The award letter states your band, adjacent or non-adjacent rate, and any fee grant. It also lists the steps before money can move.
What to do. Enter bank details in the portal. Register with your college. Wait for the college to confirm registration to SUSI. If the course you accepted differs from the one on your form, submit a Course Change Notification under My Course.
Typical timeline. First payment Thursday 10 September 2026 for higher education, 15 October for PLC, if you are confirmed a week before. Later than that: the next Thursday run, with back pay.
Refused
What it means. SUSI has decided you do not qualify, or not at the rate you hoped. The refusal letter gives the reason (income over the threshold, progression, residency, nationality, course not approved) and explains your options.
What to do. Read the reason carefully. If a figure is wrong or circumstances have changed, use My Requests in the portal to request a review or appeal within 30 days.
Typical timeline. Appeals Officer replies within 30 days of determining the appeal; the Student Grants Appeals Board has 60 days.
Review or appeal in progress
What it means. You have asked SUSI to look again. Grounds include the adjacent/non-adjacent decision, the income assessment, the special rate, or a change in circumstances such as job loss, retirement, a new sibling in college or a change of course.
What to do. Wait for the written outcome before submitting anything else; SUSI asks that you do not open a second request while one is live.
Typical timeline. Written decision within 30 days.
Cancelled
What it means. The application has been closed, normally at your request: you did not take up the place, deferred, withdrew, or needed to reapply under a different applicant class. A cancellation letter confirms it.
What to do. If you cancelled to fix a mistake (missing parent details, wrong class), submit the new application straight away while the scheme is open.
Typical timeline. Immediate. Cancellation is not appealable.
The stages after “awarded” that people miss
Being awarded is the end of SUSI’s assessment and the start of a second checklist. Nothing is paid until all of it is done: bank details entered in the portal (again, if your W2627 reference is new), college registration, the college’s electronic confirmation to SUSI (which you cannot send yourself, and which can take a week or two in September), and a Course Change Notification if you accepted a different course from the one on your form. Once all four are in place, you are paid on the next Thursday run with any missed instalments added. The dates are in the payment dates guide.
Typical timelines for 2026/27
| If you applied | What to expect |
|---|---|
| By 11 June (renewal) or 9 July (new) | Priority assessment. Aim is a decision before term starts; first payment 10 September 2026 if college confirms you in time. |
| July to August | Assessed in order received behind the priority queue. Decisions commonly land September to October; back pay covers missed instalments. |
| September onwards | Peak season. Expect the longest waits, especially if documents are requested. Applications stay open until the final closing date (not yet announced; usually early November). |
When to contact SUSI
Ring or email when the tracker has not moved for three weeks after you sent documents, or when your college says it has confirmed registration but the portal disagrees. Have your W2627 number and PPS number ready. Support hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, on 0818 888 777. Not sure the band on your award letter is right? Put the same figures into the calculator and compare; the income thresholds guide explains which deductions SUSI should have applied, which is the basis for a review request.
Frequently asked questions
How long does SUSI take to make a decision?
SUSI does not publish a fixed processing time. Applications submitted by the priority dates (11 June 2026 for renewals, 9 July 2026 for new applications) are assessed first so that a decision is ready for the start of term. Later applications are assessed in the order received. Every request for documents restarts the queue, so a clean application in June can be decided in weeks while a late one with missing paperwork can run into November.
My status says awarded but I have no money. Why?
An award letter is not a payment. Three more things must happen: you enter your bank details in the portal, you register with your college, and the college confirms your registration to SUSI electronically. Payments issue on Thursdays; you must be confirmed at least a week before a run. Missed instalments are back-paid in your first payment.
Can I appeal a refused SUSI application?
Yes. First request a review or appeal through My Requests in the portal, within 30 days of the decision. The Appeals Officer must reply in writing within 30 days. If you are still unhappy you can go to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board, again within 30 days of the Appeals Officer’s letter; the Board has 60 days to decide.
Sources: the application stages described on susi.ie/how-to-apply, the submitting your documents page, the appeals process and the cancellation page. Checked on 5 September 2026.