The student grant awarding body SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) has announced that it has awarded 30% more grants than at the same point last year.
SUSI has awarded 59,000 grants to-date for the 2015/16 academic year, up on 44,000 at the same time last year. There have been 106,000 applications for 2015/16 to date, with 15,000 of those coming in after processing deadlines. SUSI say they expect to award 82,000 grants this year, with 72,000 (69%) processed so far – the aforementioned 59,000 approved and another 13,000 that were either refused or cancelled.
A Comptroller & Auditor General report earlier this year detailed a range of failures which caused chaos in the grant awarding system and resulted in the SUSI system losing €5.9m – three times its budget – in its first year in operation. While the system was introduced to speed up the grant application process it has seen many students suffer extended delays, with some waiting one year for funds.
Along with delays there were also grants given to students who did not need them.
At a Public Accounts Committee meeting in June of this year PAC chair John McGuinness said: “if that [SUSI] was a private business and allowed that to happen I’d say you wouldn’t be in business”
This year is the first year students grants have been paid before October, with grants going out in September. Those awarded grants but still awaiting payment will receive their grants once their colleges confirm the students’ registration and attendance and the students have submitted their bank details through the online SUSI system. Between now and Christmas the grants will be paid weekly, “to ensure that as many students as possible are paid as soon as such confirmation is received,” according to a statement from SUSI.
The body is still awaiting documentation from 11,500 students. Graham Doyle, Head of Communications & Customer Service with SUSI said he would “urge those students who have still to submit their requested documentation to do so as soon as possible so that the assessment of their applications can be completed. I would also remind those students who have yet to submit their bank details to do so to ensure that they can be paid”.
The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2015/16 academic year is Thursday, November 5.
“There are also some students who have begun the online application process but have yet to complete it and similarly they need to complete their applications before the closing date,” Mr Doyle added.
