Student Assistance Fund – Midwest

About the Fund

The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) 2024-2025 is managed by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills and co-funded by the Irish Government. The SAF is allocated to higher education institutes (HEIs).

The Student Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for students who are experiencing financial difficulty whilst attending college. The fund provides a further source of funding for higher education students in addition to the SUSI grant.

Application to the Fund is open to full-time and part-time registered students on a course of not less than one year’s duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification. Applicants must meet the application eligibility criteria. Please note funding is not available under this fund for the cost of tuition or registration fees.

Unfortunately, not all applications will be successful due to limited funds. Students who apply to the fund are assessed on an individual and confidential basis.

Applications for SAF have now closed. The fund will reopen on January 13th 2025 until February 21st for eligible students who did not apply or missed out on the fund in Semester One.

Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for applications to be assessed from the closing date. Late applications will not be permitted.

Students may only apply to the Student Assistance Fund once per academic year. Students must reapply to the fund each year, an application does not carry over to the following academic year.

Students whose application is successful must meet the following conditions in order to receive payment:

• Fully registered (Please see Fees and Grants section of this website on how to pay your fees).
• Complete the application form and ensure your details are entered correctly (ie. applying under the correct name and student number if using a shared computer)
• Submit the relevant documents online e.g. A copy of your SUSI grant awarding letter or screenshot of your online SUSI account showing your application/status. (If your SUSI is pending, it will need to be awarded before any payment is released). Proof or copy of your means tested social welfare payment (self/parent/guardian/spouse/partner). We do not accept paper documents.
• Please ensure bank details (BIC and IBAN) are entered on the form correctly as this will otherwise cause delay to your payment. Please check your bank details with the IBAN checker before submitting.
• Please see the FAQ for further information on how to apply.

We will use the data provided on the application form to assess your application for the Student Assistance Fund (SAF). If your application is successful, the data provided will be retained by TUS in line with our Data Retention Schedule and in accordance with the requirements of the HEA. TUS is required to provide SAF data to the HEA for the purposes of coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the operation of the SAF. In the event that your application is not successful, your application will not be retained and will be securely disposed of.
 

Am I Eligible?

To be eligible to apply to the Student Assistance Fund this academic year, students must be in receipt of at least one or more of the following categories and evidence must be provided.

• Students must be in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment or be dependent upon their spouse or partner’s means tested social welfare payment, e.g. Jobseekers Allowance, Disability Allowance, Back to Education Allowance. Please note: Illness Benefit and State (Contributory) Pensions are not accepted.
• Students who are dependent on their parent(s)/legal guardian, who are in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment, e.g. Jobseekers Allowance, Disability Allowance, Back to Education Allowance.
• Students who are in receipt of a SUSI grant or are awaiting the outcome of their application e.g. fees only or maintenance grant. No payment will be issued to students whose SUSI has not been awarded. N.B. Due to limited funding and an increase in SUSI grants, SAF are not in a position to fund students that have been awarded the following SUSI allocation: €500 contribution lump sum grant.
• A registered HEAR student (Higher Education Access Route through CAO).

Applications that meet the above eligibility will be considered for funding.

International/non-EU fee paying students are not eligible for funding. International students should contact the International Office. However, students who are non-EU nationals, but who are eligible for free or reduced fees in line with the criteria for the Free Fees Initiative, may be considered for the SAF subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.

Students on courses that do not lead to a higher education award are not eligible to apply for the SAF.

Funding is not available under this fund for the cost of tuition and/or registration fees.

Steps on Applying to the Student Assistance Fund​

1. Students must meet the eligibility criteria to apply to the Student Assistance Fund.
2. Read through the FAQ section
3. Complete the SAF Application Form online.
4. Ensure details are entered correctly.
5. All supporting documentation must be submitted online. 

Documentation checklist

The following documentation, where applicable, must be submitted online, in support of your application. Applications will only be assessed if the relevant supporting documents are submitted, within the application closing date.

• Copy of your SUSI grant awarding letter (e.g. fees only or maintenance grant) or a screenshot of your online SUSI account showing your awarded status.
• Proof or copy of your means tested social welfare payment (self/parent/guardian/spouse/partner)

If you have any queries in regards the fund, please email saf.midwest@tus.ie.