The Minister for Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, recently made an overdue announcement for the ears of students across the nation.
Funding of €19,345,417 will be allocated to the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) for the 2025/26 academic year – representing an increase of over €260,000 for the fund from last year.
The SAF provides much needed income support to students experiencing financial difficulties while in college.
It consists of €9.1 million core funding, and over €10.2 million in additional funding benefitting vulnerable students.
In a statement,Minister Lawless said “This additional investment in the Student Assistance Fund reflects our ongoing commitment to breaking down the financial barriers that too many students still face.”
“For some, this support is not just helpful, it is essential to staying in college,” he said.
“I want every student to know that help is available, and I strongly encourage anyone experiencing financial pressure to contact their college’s Access Office and find out how the fund can support them.”
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) manages the SAF on behalf of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS).
The HEA allocates funding to each of the Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and applicants must contact the Access Office in the HEI they attend in order to be considered for funding.
The University of Galway Access Centre is located on the Ground Floor in Áras Ui Chathail, and is accessible to email at access@universityofgalway.ie.
While the move has been welcomed across student circles, it is clear on inspection that the SAF is far from infallible charity.
Twenty universities, institutes of technology and colleges participate in the SAF, and applications are assessed by the individual institutions.
It covers food, essential travel, books and class materials, as well as rent and other utility bills, childcare costs and medical costs.
However, college tuition fees, HEI registration fees and loan repayments are not covered by the fund. And while the fund is confidential, it is means-tested, and students may be required to provide proof of their own income and of the income of their parents, as well as receipts for costs such as rent, bills or childcare (Irish Independent).
Students may be interviewed where it is necessary to obtain additional information. The thorough means test and rigorous application process renders the SAF a complex aid to avail of.
According to the SAF Guidelines from the HEA, the fund has a dual focus and is designed to support students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support and also provide emergency financial assistance for other students.
Part-time students who are lone parents or members of other access target groups identified in the National Access Plan: A Strategic Action Plan for Equity of Access, Participation and Success in Higher Education 2022-2028 are encouraged to apply, as ringfenced funding is available to support this group.
PhD students are eligible to apply for the SAF during the first four years of their studies, and PhD students who have completed four years of their studies may also be eligible on a case-by-case basis.
However, students on courses that do not lead to a higher education award are unable to apply for the SAF.
The wider institutional community should be aware of the SAF so that students in need can be directed to it from a range of sources.
In the University of Galway, these include the Chaplaincy (St. Declan’s Building, No. 6, Distillery Road, H91 TK33) and the Student’s Union (Áras na Mac Léinn). Information on the SAF can also be found in some student handbooks and newsletters, and at open days.
Minister Lawless concluded his statement saying: “Supporting students to stay in education is a core priority, and this funding boost is an important part of that commitment.”
“With today’s announcement, the total allocation for the coming academic year will exceed €19.3 million. I want every student who is facing financial pressure to know that help is available, and I will continue to ensure that the SAF has the resources it needs to provide that support.”
While the minister’s announcement is no doubt a positive for student welfare, the long list of means and conditions on the fund looms large.
Like SUSI, a promising idea perhaps isn’t working to the best of its ability. And while the increase in the Student Assistance Fund is a welcome step in the right direction, questions remain in need of asking of this government with regards to its commitment to student wellbeing.
Sonny McGreevy is SIN’s co-Sports Editor for 2025/2026. He is a third-year student of Creative Writing and a keen but mediocre golfer. It is his second-year writing for SIN. When he’s not slicing a golf ball into the nearest pond or peering over a fence at a local GAA pitch, he’s debating Irish foreign policy or ardently discussing the price of turf with a pint in hand in a sleepy pub in his native Roscommon.