Budget 2027 announcements. Implementation dates vary. · By K Imports
Budget 2027: Student fees, SUSI and tuition relief
The €2,350 contribution fee, 4.5% maintenance-grant increase and new multi-student supports.
Sources checked .
What was announced
- Student contribution
- The annual contribution fee is permanently reduced by €150 from €2,500 to €2,350.
- Maintenance grants
- Maintenance grants increase by 4.5% across every band from January 2027. From September, enhanced or new contribution-fee supports are announced for families with income below €150,000 and more than one child in college.
- Tuition relief
- The disregarded amount for qualifying third-level fee relief is reduced to align with the student contribution. The Department describes 20% relief on qualifying cumulative fees above the disregard for a second and subsequent student.
- Places and skills
- The Government overview includes 1,420 additional higher-education places in key health and social-care professions and €150 million over three years for workforce development, including AI and digital skills.
Practical next steps
- Use the grant year and household conditions published by SUSI, not an old threshold table.
- Keep maintenance grants, contribution grants and tuition-fee tax relief distinct.
- Check the actual course and fee eligibility before applying 20% relief.