The introduction of a centralised grant application service for students was promised to reduce delays – but it looks like the delays could be worse than previous years.
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) is the new awarding body – and it handles all grant applications which must be made online. The grant applications were supposed to made before 31st August 2012.
Back in 2011 we were told by the Dept of Education that the new system would address the problem of some 60 per cent of hard copy grant applications being returned because they are incomplete or inaccurate. “The grants online system only allows correct and complete information ”
In total this year , SUSI say they have received just over 66,000 completed application for student grants. Only 18,000 applications have been fully processed – 9,000 applications have been refused and 9,000 have had grants awarded.
SUSI is awaiting documentation on approx. 21,000 applications.
About 27,000 grant applications are still awaiting processing by SUSI – the breakdown of these 27000 is as follows : 15,000 have yet to be checked to ensure that all documentation has been submitted.
6000 have supplied all the information and are awaiting final assessment.
5000 applications were submitted after the closing date.
600 have appealed the decision previously made on their applications.
Last year – as at 21 January 2012 the student grant figures were as follows:
Total of 66,479 applications were received
32,152 grants were awarded and some 6,932 applications were refused.
SUSI say that about 40% of applications do not have all the documentation required to process them.
SUSI say that staffing levels have been substantially increased in recent weeks, with an additional 20 staff members processing the documentation received from students, and extra staff have also been assigned to SUSI head office to work on continually improving the processes and speeding up processing times.
Contact Details for SUSI
SUSI Support Desk telephone: 076 108 7874
From outside Ireland call 00353 761 08 7874
Available 9.00 a.m. – 8.00 p.m. Monday to Friday
10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. Saturdays
E-mail SUSI at: support@susi.cdvec.ie
Postal address: SUSI, PO Box 12210, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4