Students receiving Government grants are still turning to charitable assistance to meet the costs of university, with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) reporting that its education bursaries support over 2,000 students.
SVP said its Education and Training bursary fund had provided over €3 million towards expenses including books, laptops, course fees, travel, and accommodation. Individual grants typically range from €500 to €3,000, depending on circumstances and local funding.
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) administers the State’s student grant scheme, providing eligible students with support towards fees and living costs. According to its website, SUSI has received over 100,000 applications so far this academic year and awarded funding to over 71,000 students.
A Trinity College Dublin medical student who receives both SUSI and SVP support, speaking on condition of anonymity, said covering the upfront costs of starting college was difficult.
“The initial upfront cost is a bit of a shocker; the main challenges I found were buying the education materials like laptops, lab coats, which I needed for the lab, and that wasn’t cheap, and purchasing clothes to wear, because in school you have the safety net of wearing the uniform, but I wouldn’t have had enough normal clothes to wear,” the student said.
Although the student receives SUSI, they said the timing of payments made expenses particularly challenging. SVP assistance helped them cover these costs. “The SVP stepped in early in my education, but I know people have to drop out of college due to financial difficulties.”
The student learned about SVP bursaries through their family, which had received assistance since the student was 12. SVP later helped pay for their HPAT preparation through MedEntry.
HPAT is a standardised admissions exam required for entry into undergraduate medicine in Ireland and other select postgraduate healthcare courses.
“From the age of 12, they gave us food vouchers regularly, and from that we were on their radar. They helped cover a portion of my MedEntry to help me get into medicine itself,” they said.
The student described having to work full-time hours alongside their course, which affected their studies and opportunities to participate in college life.
“I worked until fourth year, and had to leave placements early to go to work, and working every weekend has an impact on your social life and general wellbeing. If I were to keep working, it would undoubtedly negatively affect my grades. I worked more in the past, so I didn’t have to in final med.”
Ann Cuffe Fitzgerald, who chairs the SVP Higher Education and Training Bursary Committee, said travel, equipment, and accommodation were recurring reasons students sought help. “Accommodation, travel, and tech are our three biggies,” she said.
Fitzgerald emphasised how some courses bring substantial specialist expenses.
“When they ask for assistance from us, a lot of it is equipment costs. We had a fellow doing third-year carpentry, and the list of tools he had to buy for his course was nearly 2,000 euros worth.”
Food costs also remain a concern.
“I do think food poverty is still an issue for our students. We have always felt you should at least be able to buy a roll and a cup of tea from the canteen with our bursaries,” she said.
Fitzgerald explained that SVP considers applicants’ individual circumstances alongside their financial needs.
“We react as quickly as we can. We listen very hard to the circumstances of the individual. The students seeking help from us are mainly those who don’t qualify for SUSI or need extra support beyond SUSI.”
SVP assistance is organised through local volunteer groups, known as conferences, which can provide ongoing friendship and support to students and their families.
The Trinity medical student said unexpected household expenses also stretched their college budget, with financial support, work and savings helping them manage.
SUSI allows reassessment following changes in circumstances, including reduced household income. However, the student and Fitzgerald described financial pressures that persist despite grant support, particularly when course demands limit the capacity to do paid work.
SUSI and TU Dublin Students’ Union did not respond to requests for comment.
Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union was also unavailable for interview at this time.
Academic integrity declaration: I conducted all interviews and reporting for this article.
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