Cork councillors criticise ‘cumbersome’ Susi process for college grants

A Cork County Councillor has expressed concerns about the complexity and inaccessibility of the current Susi (Student Universal Support Ireland) application process.

Speaking at the Cork County Council meeting which was held on Tuesday, Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley raised a motion requesting that the Council writes to the Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless, to call on the Minister to review urgently the Susi application system with a view to simplifying the process.

She also has called for the Department to explore the possibility of integration of Susi with Revenue’s online systems, such as my Account and the Income Record System, to enable automatic income verification.

Cobh Fine Gael Councillor Sinead Sheppard was also in agreement that the process needs to be made more simpler and that at times it can feel like “they don’t want people to fill it out.” 

 Independent councillor Finbarr Harrington described the process as a “cumbersome and drawn-out application" and also pleaded for a review of the current system.

Social Democrats councillor Ann Bambury said the process needs to be re-designed, so that it is easier to navigate, with more simpler guidance and instructions required.

Speaking to The Echo, a spokesperson from SUSI said: “Supporting information is provided throughout the application form, an application form guide is available on SUSI’s website and Susi’s Support Desk is available by phone, email and social media to answer any questions.

“Susi’s Access Officer team is also available to provide additional support to applicants throughout the application process.

“Susi conducts ongoing customer satisfaction surveys to help us better understand our customer needs. Since opening for applications in March, the application form has received an applicant satisfaction rating of over 90% each month to date.

"The mean time for the initial assessment of an application in academic year 2025/26 is approximately two weeks with the time being approximately two weeks for the assessment of returned documentation.

"For many applicants, approximately 70%, supporting documentation is not required."

For the upcoming academic year, the new application priority closing date for students for the SUSI grant is July 10. Applications can be submitted online at www.susi.ie