The principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The scheme is demand led and as such the numbers applying each year can change for reasons such as demographics, employment rates etc. The number of students who qualified for a SUSI grant in each of the past five years and to date in 2021, by county is as follows.
Home Address County
|
2016-17
|
2017-18
|
2018-19
|
2019-20
|
2020-21
|
2021-22*
|
Dublin
|
15,478
|
15,416
|
15,316
|
14,803
|
15,906
|
13,829
|
Cork
|
8,881
|
8,722
|
8,325
|
7,853
|
8,159
|
6,707
|
Galway
|
5,334
|
5,228
|
5,068
|
4,773
|
4,794
|
3,958
|
Donegal
|
4,061
|
4,010
|
3,861
|
3,692
|
3,886
|
3,139
|
Kildare
|
3,318
|
3,247
|
3,220
|
3,157
|
3,321
|
2,926
|
Limerick
|
3,811
|
3,655
|
3,441
|
3,261
|
3,320
|
2,797
|
Meath
|
3,204
|
3,125
|
3,024
|
2,932
|
3,134
|
2,706
|
Louth
|
2,755
|
2,694
|
2,689
|
2,679
|
2,864
|
2,510
|
Wexford
|
3,137
|
3,130
|
3,051
|
2,880
|
2,966
|
2,512
|
Tipperary
|
3,177
|
3,112
|
3,082
|
2,869
|
2,850
|
2,413
|
Kerry
|
3,389
|
3,200
|
2,996
|
2,844
|
2,858
|
2,392
|
Mayo
|
3,147
|
3,049
|
2,869
|
2,790
|
2,842
|
2,412
|
Waterford
|
2,411
|
2,335
|
2,315
|
2,233
|
2,390
|
2,017
|
Clare
|
2,470
|
2,417
|
2,340
|
2,206
|
2,255
|
1,985
|
Wicklow
|
2,183
|
2,154
|
2,095
|
1,979
|
2,049
|
1,700
|
Kilkenny
|
1,871
|
1,802
|
1,863
|
1,804
|
1,797
|
1,531
|
Westmeath
|
1,893
|
1,888
|
1,795
|
1,700
|
1,796
|
1,515
|
Laois
|
1,571
|
1,609
|
1,610
|
1,595
|
1,644
|
1,397
|
Offaly
|
1,723
|
1,623
|
1,556
|
1,523
|
1,556
|
1,359
|
Cavan
|
1,780
|
1,732
|
1,690
|
1,612
|
1,565
|
1,269
|
Roscommon
|
1,510
|
1,447
|
1,462
|
1,308
|
1,339
|
1,139
|
Monaghan
|
1,435
|
1,386
|
1,327
|
1,296
|
1,302
|
1,112
|
Carlow
|
1,287
|
1,243
|
1,223
|
1,121
|
1,205
|
1,038
|
Sligo
|
1,491
|
1,434
|
1,360
|
1,322
|
1,279
|
996
|
Longford
|
865
|
834
|
825
|
822
|
902
|
810
|
Leitrim
|
843
|
798
|
809
|
781
|
751
|
595
|
Other
|
1,086
|
787
|
584
|
512
|
527
|
387
|
Grand Total
|
84,111
|
82,077
|
79,796
|
76,347
|
79,257
|
67,151
|
*For the current academic year the application process for 2021-22 is still open and the figures provided are as at the 5th September 2021.