The SEC appeals policy permits applicants to appeal a grant notification on two grounds:

  1. Where the applicant has had a change in circumstance since submitting the application
  2. Where the applicant believes an omission or error has been made in the calculation of the Net Reckonable Income

Your appeal will be assessed by an appeals officer. Except where an administrative error is uncovered there will be no further opportunity to review your grant allocation.

No grant can exceed Band 1 (Day: €4,491, Boarding: €10,269), so please do not appeal if you have already been allocated the maximum grant

1. Change of circumstance

If appealing on a change of circumstance, you must submit supporting documents for your claim. Please note that increased operational overheads for self-employed people is not normally acceptable as a change in circumstance. Please also note that a change of circumstance must have occurred since submitting the application. Applicants appeal for various reasons and these can include:

  • Incorrect application of information previously provided or incorrect information used to calculate the Means Test.
  • Change of circumstances not known at the time of application
  • New information since time of application
  • Special circumstances (for example a serious medical condition; parent/guardian death)

2. Omission or Error 

If you omitted a child from your Registration Form and no grant has been allocated for them or if you made an error in your Application Form and this has caused an error in your grant calculation, please make an appeal by following the steps below.

How to appeal?

Your appeal will be assessed by an appeals officer. Except where an administrative error is uncovered there will be no further opportunity to review your grant allocation. No grant can exceed Band 1 (Day: €4,491, Boarding: €10,269), so please do not appeal if you have already been allocated the maximum grant

  • Review your grant notification and consider whether you have grounds for appeal
  • Request the Appeal Form by emailing info@secgrant.ie
  • Complete the form and gather supporting documentation where necessary
  • Submit the appeal form within 14 days of the grant notification.

Late appeals or appeals that are not on the form will not be accepted

I have appealed and I am still unhappy about my grant outcome?

If after appealing you believe an error has been made and the terms of the means test not applied, you can request the Appeals Sub-Committee of the board of directors of the SEC to review your application. They will only examine whether the process has been applied correctly. Details of this review procedure will be communicated with the outcome of your appeal.