A €1,000 reduction in undergraduate college fees has come into effect from today, with the money being returned to students’ accounts.
The reduction in fees was first announced as part of Budget 2024 as part of measures targeting the cost of education.
A reduction of up to €1,000 in undergraduate fees is now being applied to all free fees eligible students’ accounts.
This will see the fees of some 96,000 students across the country reduced by 33%, down to €2,000.
Students – or their families – who have paid the full student contribution of €3,000 are being refunded.
They have been asked to give their bank details to their higher education institution before the end of November to facilitate reimbursement of their €1,000 in December.
If bank details are not provided by the student, a credit will be applied to their account.
Speaking today, Minister Simon Harris said, “Budget 2024 introduced a series of measures to reduce the cost of education and put more money back in people’s pockets.
“The most significant measure was the reduction of college fees of €1,000 for the second year in a row.”
“Today, we set out how it will work. For the majority of students, there will be no action required. Fees will automatically reduce to €2,000 for all undergraduate students eligible for free fees.”
“If you are paying in instalments – as many families do- your second instalment will be reduced by up to €1,000 at the start of the second term in 2024.”
“If you paid in full, your college will refund you by the end of the year,” the Minister added.
Minister Harris also confirmed families earning under €100,000 may also be eligible for a €500 student contribution grant.
While applications have closed, students may be eligible to make a late application details are available on www.susi.ie.
