Exact amounts, income thresholds, adjacent vs non-adjacent rates — and the honest picture of what the grant actually covers versus what living in an Irish college city actually costs.
These are the verified figures from susi.ie for academic year 2026/27. All amounts are per year, paid in nine monthly instalments.
| Band | Adjacent rate (<30km) | Non-adjacent rate (30km+) | Income limit (<4 dependants) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special RateHighest rate, lowest income threshold | €3,230 | €7,936 | Under €28,600 |
| Band 1 | €1,774 | €4,722 | Under €47,010 |
| Band 2 | €1,343 | €3,532 | Under €48,270 |
| Band 3 | €975 | €2,702 | Under €51,040 |
| Band 4Lowest maintenance rate | €612 | €1,866 | Under €58,470 |
Income thresholds increase with number of dependent children. Source: susi.ie, 2026/27 academic year. Further detail on citizensinformation.ie.
Enter your household's reckonable income and how far your college is from home for an estimate of your maintenance band and grant.
Enter your household income to see your estimated grant.
Estimate only, for households with under 4 dependent children. Thresholds rise with more dependants, so you may qualify for a higher band. Always check the official figures at susi.ie.
Even the maximum non-adjacent maintenance grant — €7,936 per year — works out to approximately €882 per month across nine months of term time. Here is how that compares to actual costs in Irish college cities in 2026:
This is before food, transport, books, phone, or any social life. The funding gap is structural and applies to the majority of SUSI recipients studying in Irish cities.
The difference between adjacent (under 30km) and non-adjacent (30km+) rates is significant — for the Special Rate, it is the difference between €3,230 and €7,936. SUSI measures the distance from your home address to your college.
SUSI assumes you can commute. Lower rate because accommodation costs are assumed to be lower or nil.
Example: Living in Ballincollig and attending UCC in Cork city.
Higher rate. SUSI acknowledges you need to pay for accommodation near college.
Example: Living in Kerry and attending UCC in Cork city.
If you are right on the borderline — exactly 28-32km — it is worth verifying the measurement SUSI uses. The address on your application matters: SUSI uses your permanent home address, not your term-time address.
Most students receiving SUSI are still short. The gap between the grant and actual living costs has to come from somewhere. The most common solutions:
Part-time work
Bar work, retail, food delivery — the most common supplement. €12–€15/hour. The challenge is protecting study time while generating enough income.
Tutoring (grinds)
Higher hourly rate than bar work (€30–€40/hour) for students in STEM or languages. Demand is consistent. One or two regulars per week makes a significant difference.
Shared housing
Sharing a house with 3–4 others rather than living in managed student accommodation typically saves €200–€400/month. The tradeoff is less convenience and more self-management.
Commuting
Staying at home and commuting, even from 40–60km away, can save €500–€800/month versus renting in the city. Viable for some courses and timetables; not for others.
Arrangement relationships
For some students, a sugar arrangement — a genuine relationship where financial support is part of the dynamic — is one of the options they consider. It is legal, increasingly normal, and not the secret it is sometimes treated as. SugarBowl.ie is Ireland's platform, free to join as a sugar baby.
Budget 2026 announced that the income threshold for the €500 student contribution grant will increase for 2026/27, extending eligibility to households with total income under €120,000. The Special Rate threshold increases to €28,600 for 2026/27.
These are incremental improvements. They do not close the gap between maximum SUSI payments and actual accommodation costs in Irish college cities. The structural problem — that rental costs have increased faster than grant rates — remains.
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The SUSI maintenance grant for 2026/27 ranges from €612 to €7,936 per year depending on your household income, the number of dependants, and whether you live adjacent to your college (under 30km) or not. The Special Rate — the highest — pays €7,936 per year non-adjacent and requires household income under €28,600. Most students qualify for somewhere in Bands 1-4, which range from €612 to €4,722 per year non-adjacent.
The income limit depends on which band you are applying for. The Special Rate requires household income under €28,600 (under 4 dependants). Band 1 requires under €47,010. Band 4 — the lowest maintenance grant — requires income under €58,470. Above Band 4, there are still fee contribution grants available up to higher income levels. All thresholds increase with the number of dependent children in the household.
If your college is less than 30km from your home address, you receive the adjacent rate. If it is 30km or more away, you receive the non-adjacent (higher) rate. The non-adjacent rate assumes you need to pay for accommodation near college. For the Special Rate, adjacent pays €3,230 and non-adjacent pays €7,936 — a significant difference. Most students living in college cities qualify for the non-adjacent rate.
No — not at current rental rates. Even the maximum non-adjacent maintenance grant (€7,936/year, or about €882/month over nine months) falls short of average single-room rents in Cork (€950–€1,300/month), Limerick (€800–€1,100/month), and Dublin (€1,200–€1,800/month). The Special Rate grant was designed for a different rental market. The gap between maximum SUSI payment and actual accommodation cost in Irish college cities is now several hundred euros per month for most students.
SUSI maintenance grants are paid in nine monthly instalments over the academic year, typically from October through to June. Payments are made directly to your bank account. The exact payment dates vary and are published on the SUSI website (susi.ie) each academic year. Fee contribution elements go directly to your college rather than to you.
If household income is above the Band 4 threshold (€58,470 for under 4 dependants), you will not receive a maintenance grant. However, there are still partial fee contribution grants available at higher income levels — up to €120,000 household income for 2026/27 following Budget 2026 changes. These pay a contribution toward your student contribution charge (registration fee) rather than toward living costs.