Student grants will increase from next week, as measures announced in last year's Budget take effect.
Postgraduate maintenance grants will return at all levels for the first time in over a decade, while funding for certain PhD researchers will also increase.
From next week, eligible students will see increases of up to €342 in maintenance grants between now and May, and almost twice that in the yearly grant rate.
For postgraduate students, maintenance grants worth up to €2,384 will be reintroduced to those who qualify, for the first time in 13 years.
PhD researchers who are funded by the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland will see their stipend increase by €3,000.
Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said the increases were in addition to the €1,000 reduction in the student contribution fee for eligible undergraduates.
Mr Harris is also announcing a once off increase to the Student Assistance Fund of almost €1.5 million to help students facing financial difficulties due to the increased cost of living.
He said: "This is a really important increase at a difficult time for families across the country.
"The cost-of-living has had a real impact on families. This investment, made as part of a wider package of supports in Budget 2024, will see eligible students receive an increased student maintenance grant."
Hopes for NI medical study at reduced cost
Mr Harris said he hopes Irish medical students will be able to study in Northern Ireland at a reduced cost from September.
Fees to study medicine in the North are higher than in the Republic, but under the proposals, undergraduates would only have to pay the lower fees, of around €3000.
Those students would then have to work for the Health Service Executive for a period of time, which has yet to be decided.
He said: "Fees in Northern Ireland are significantly higher than the rest of the island, so the aim is [for students] that they would only have to pay €3000, but in return they would commit to working within the health service.
"We need to use every educational resource on the island of Ireland to help meet the skills needs of the people on this island, and there is probably no area more important than healthcare."
The number of places was something to be worked out, he said.
Mr Harris added that people already moved across the border for healthcare.
