S.I. No. 605/2025 - Student Grant (Amendment) (No.2) Scheme 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 16th December, 2025.

I, JAMES LAWLESS, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 16 of the Student Support Act 2011 (No. 4 of 2011) (as adapted by the Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 ( S.I. No. 451 of 2020 ), and the Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025 ( S.I. No. 243 of 2025 )), with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, hereby make the following scheme of grants:-

1. This Scheme may be cited as the Student Grant (Amendment) (No.2) Scheme 2025.

2. This Scheme shall come into operation on 1^st January 2026.

3. In this Scheme “Principal Scheme” means the Student Grant Scheme 2025 ( S.I. No. 70 of 2025 ).

4. Article 27 of the Principal Scheme is amended by substituting for paragraph (2) the following:

“(2) The value of the special and standard rates of maintenance grant in respect of an approved full-time course shall be in accordance with the annual rates specified by the Minister. The rates specified for the financial year are set out in Schedules 3 and 3A.”

5. Article 27 of the Principal Scheme is amended by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:

“(6) The total value of the Maintenance Grant that would otherwise be payable to an applicant under this Article and Schedule 3 in respect of the period January to May 2026 shall be increased by the total amount specified in Schedule 3A. Payment of this additional amount shall be made on a pro rata basis in respect of an applicant’s attendance on an approved course in an approved institution during this period.”

6. The Principal Scheme is amended by the insertion of the following Schedule after Schedule 3:

“Schedule 3A

Additional amount of maintenance grant in respect of the period January – May 2026

”

7. Article 37 of the Principal Scheme is amended by substituting for paragraph (2) the following:

“(2) The awarding authority shall pay maintenance grants in nine instalments, in line with the annual rates specified in Schedule 3 and the additional amounts specified in Schedule 3A.”

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation consents to the making of the foregoing Scheme.

GIVEN under Official Seal of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation,

8 December, 2025.

JACK CHAMBERS,

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

10 December, 2025.

JAMES LAWLESS,

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

The purpose of this Scheme is to amend the Student Grant Scheme 2025 to provide for changes to the Non-Adjacent rate of the Student Maintenance Grant.