Students weighed down by cost of college

AS THE gruelling Leaving Certificate exams draw to a close, our hardworking students deserve a well-earned break over the summer months. 

The sheer scale of material that candidates are expected to memorise for the exams is absolutely staggering. Whatever challenges our young people face in their future studies or careers, they are unlikely to be as daunting as this. That’s why, decades on, many Irish adults still report having anxiety dreams about the Leaving.

By now, many of our secondary school graduates will have filled in their CAO forms and will be hoping to have secured enough points for the college course of their choice. And while third level education will mark another important chapter in their lives, it also will bring its own difficulties and challenges.

Last week, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) published some disturbing findings, revealing that 58.1 per cent of students miss meals to stay in college. The research was based on 870 responses to a national survey of students.

Worryingly, more than a third (38.7 per cent) of students said they went hungry to fund or stay in college, while 34.2 per cent go without heat to make ends meet. A further 25.4 per cent said they go to their students’ union, St Vincent de Paul or a food bank.

Quite rightly, USI has criticised recent suggestions to increase the registration fee by more than €1,000. It warned that the implications of this proposed increase include plunging students further into poverty, disabling social mobility and increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. A paper prepared by officials at the Department of Public Expenditure found that even such an increase would be insufficient to bridge the funding gap in third level education.

USI president Kevin Donoghue said talk of increasing the registration fee beyond €4,000 was a “ludicrous” proposal.

“Any Government that proposes raising costs in an area already crippled by cuts and high expenses is deluded and out of touch with the public,” he stated. “This suggested increase will deter young people from applying to college, which is already unaffordable for so many.”

The funding crisis in third level education is at odds with what comes out of the mouths of our politicians. Every time there’s a jobs announcement, TDs and ministers cite our highly educated workforce as a major factor in attracting foreign investment to these shores.

Yet, according to USI research, many of our students are going hungry or cold to achieve their educational goals. The State is the ultimate beneficiary of a well-educated population. It’s time for a rethink on who pays for it.