Important:
If you are a postgraduate research student, please stay on this page to see if you are eligible for the Rent Assistance Fund.
If you are an EU undergraduate student who has applied successfully to the Universal Student Support Fund, please visit this page for information about the Rent Assistance Fund.
If you are a non-EU undergraduate student who is currently registered to a full-time course of at least one year’s duration, please visit this page for information about the Rent Assistance Fund.
NB. Students who are already in receipt of rent-specific funding to the value of €5,000 or more per year are not eligible to apply for this fund. This includes federal or state rent aid/sponsorship. (Updated on 20 November 2025.)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What is the application deadline?
Rent Assistance Fund applications opened at 9am on Thursday, 20 November 2025 and will close at 4pm on Friday, 20 March 2026.
Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted.
Who can apply?
This support is open to Postgraduate Research (PGR) students who:
-
Are currently registered and actively engaged in research or study.
-
Are paying rent for the 2025–2026 academic year.
- Have a household income for 2024 of below €27,400.
This support is means-tested, with a household income threshold for 2024 of €27,400, in line with the SUSI Special Rate. Applicants must provide evidence that their household income in 2024 was below this threshold by submitting a 2024 Statement of Liability or an equivalent government-issued financial document showing household income for 2024.
Please note that you may only submit a financial document for yourself if you were 23 years or older on 1 January of the year you started your course.
Students must also show evidence they are currently paying rent for the current academic year, 2025-26, by providing evidence of rent payments made since 1 September 2025
How much will I receive?
All eligible students will receive a once-off payment of €1,000.
Please note that whilst we endeavour to support all eligible students, this is a limited fund. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible. Applications will be assessed in the order they are received. The fund will close once the funds have been exhausted.
How do I apply?
Students will have received an email from the Dean of Graduate Studies inviting them to apply for Rent Assistance. The email will contain a link to this (opens in a new window)Google form which must be completed in full.
As part of their application, students must upload a financial document, such as a 2024 Statement of Liability, showing their household income for 2024.
Students must also provide evidence that they are renting for the current academic year, 2025-26. See acceptable types of documentation below.
What documentation must I supply?
Proof of Income:
PGR students must provide a 2024 Statement of Liability which you can request from(opens in a new window) Revenue. If you are an international student and cannot provide a Statement of Liability, you must provide an equivalent, government-issued, financial document showing household income for 2024. All documents must be in English. A machine translation is acceptable.
Proof of Rent:
You must provide one of the following documents as proof of rent:
- A Lease or Tenancy Agreement in your name, dated for the current academic year.
- A dated and signed letter from your landlord or rental company on headed paper, confirming you are a current tenant and specifying the monthly rent amount.
- UCD or other student accommodation rent statements in your name showing payments made since 1 September 2025.
- A bank statement in your name that clearly shows regular monthly or weekly rent payments for the last 2 months. NB. Please highlight the rent payments on your statement as this will speed up the verification process. All other information can be redacted.
HAP and Council statements are accepted.
Any Tenancy Agreement that is dated before 2025 must be accompanied by supporting evidence such as bank statements, rent receipts, or a confirmation letter from your landlord.
ATM statements showing cash withdrawals will only be accepted if accompanied by rent receipts, notes from a rent book, or a confirmation letter from your landlord
How will I know if my application is successful?
Applications are reviewed in the order they are received and typically take 4–6 weeks to assess. Please note that the University will be closed from 23 December to 4 January; applications will not be assessed during this time period.
Students will be contacted from the (opens in a new window)sfs@ucd.ie email account if their application is incomplete or if there are any outstanding requirements.
Applications with all required evidence will be processed for payment starting Monday, 19 January 2026. Successful applicants will receive their once-off payment within 5–7 working days of processing.
Please note that students who have submitted complete documentation will not be contacted until after Monday 19 January 2026 when they will receive an email confirming the success of their application.
Applications received after 19 January 2026 will continue to be assessed, but processing will take 4–6 weeks from the date of submission. Once again, students will be contacted from the (opens in a new window)sfs@ucd.ie email account if there are any outstanding requirements.
No applications after the closing date of Friday 20 March 2026 will be accepted; however, outstanding requirements will be accepted after the closing date.
Students are kindly asked to be patient during this time and to not send emails enquiring on the status of their application as this could slow down the verification process.
NB. Students who apply to both the SSF Rent Assistance Fund and the PGR Rent Assistance Fund will only be eligible to receive funding from one source if their application is approved.