What you can get, at a glance
| Where and what | Maintenance grant | Fee grant |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate, UK (including Northern Ireland) | Yes | No |
| Undergraduate, another EU member state | Yes | No |
| Postgraduate, Northern Ireland (approved courses) | Yes | Yes |
| Postgraduate, Great Britain or elsewhere | No | No |
| PLC or similar further education abroad | No | No |
Undergraduates: maintenance only
The Student Support Regulations 2026 approve a full-time undergraduate course outside Ireland when it takes at least two years, is run by an approved institution in another EU member state or the UK, and leads to a major higher education qualification recognised under that country’s system. If it qualifies, you are assessed exactly like a student at home: same income table, same bands, same 30km rule.
| 2026/27 | Under 30km | 30km or more |
|---|---|---|
| Special rate of maintenance | €3,230 | €7,936 |
| Band 1: full maintenance | €1,774 | €4,722 |
| Band 2: part maintenance | €1,343 | €3,532 |
| Band 3: part maintenance | €975 | €2,702 |
| Band 4: part maintenance | €612 | €1,866 |
In practice almost everyone studying abroad from Ireland lives 30km or more from college and gets the higher non-adjacent rate. The exception is someone from Donegal studying just across the border at Ulster University in Derry, whose distance SUSI measures like anyone else’s (see the 30km rule). The fee grant, which at home covers the student contribution, is only payable for courses in the State, so tuition at the foreign university is your own cost.
Who cannot get maintenance abroad
- Tuition students. If you have lived in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland for three of the last five years but not in Ireland, SUSI classes you as a tuition student. At home that means fees only; abroad it means nothing, because there is no fee grant outside the State.
- Back to Education Allowance recipients. SUSI excludes students on BTEA from the maintenance grant abroad.
Postgraduates: Northern Ireland only
A postgraduate grant outside the State is only possible for the courses listed in Schedule 3 of the Student Support Regulations 2026:
| Institution | Approved courses |
|---|---|
| Queen's University Belfast | Full-time postgraduate courses of at least one year |
| Ulster University | Full-time postgraduate courses of at least one year |
| St Mary's University College, Belfast | Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Irish Medium) |
| Stranmillis University College, Belfast | Postgraduate Certificate in Education |
These get the same package as a postgraduate course in Ireland: on the special rate, a fee grant of up to €6,270 plus maintenance; in Bands 1 to 4, a fee contribution of €4,500 plus maintenance. Income limits and the full breakdown are in the postgraduate guide. A masters in Scotland, England or Wales is not covered.
An Erasmus or placement year on an Irish course
That is different from enrolling abroad. If your Irish course requires a period at a foreign institution of up to one year, the Student Grant Scheme 2026 lets the maintenance grant continue, provided the time abroad does not make the course longer than normal. The renewal form asks whether you will study outside the State during the year, and a compulsory spell abroad can change the distance SUSI uses.
The paperwork that is different
- Course details. A place outside the CAO is not passed to SUSI automatically. After you accept it, submit a Course Change Notification under My Course in the portal.
- Registration. SUSI has a Foreign College Verification of Continuing Registration form for 2026/27, which your foreign college completes to confirm you are still enrolled.
- Foreign income. Any household income from abroad in 2025 needs official documents covering the whole calendar year (for UK earnings, the P60s for the tax years ending April 2025 and April 2026), with a certified English or Irish translation where needed.
- Bank account. Payments go to an open, active euro account in the SEPA area, so a UK sterling account will not do.
More on what SUSI accepts is in the documents checklist. For the amount itself, the calculator works the same for a course abroad: choose undergraduate and 30km or more.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a SUSI grant to study in the UK?
Yes, the maintenance grant, if you meet the usual nationality, residence and income rules and the course is a full-time undergraduate course of at least two years at an approved institution, leading to a recognised higher education qualification. SUSI does not pay tuition fees or a student contribution for undergraduate courses outside Ireland.
Does SUSI pay fees for a degree in Northern Ireland?
Not for undergraduates. For postgraduates, yes: approved full-time postgraduate courses in Northern Ireland are the one case outside the State where SUSI can pay a fee grant (up to €6,270 on the special rate) or a fee contribution of €4,500, plus maintenance.
Can I get SUSI for a PLC-type course abroad?
No. SUSI says PLC courses only exist in the State, and similar further education courses outside the State are not eligible.
Does my SUSI grant continue during an Erasmus year?
It can. Where your Irish course requires you to study at an institution abroad for up to one year, the maintenance grant may continue as long as the time abroad does not extend the normal length of the course. Declare it on your renewal form.
Are the income limits different for students abroad?
No. For 2026/27 SUSI publishes a separate table for students outside the State, but the thresholds and maintenance amounts in it are the same as for students in Ireland, including the special rate.
Sources: SUSI’s outside the State thresholds and rates page, the Student Support Regulations 2026 (S.I. No. 71 of 2026) and the Student Grant Scheme 2026 (S.I. No. 70 of 2026), checked on 25 October 2026.