“Students who find that their college course doesn’t suit them may discover it’s costly to drop out – depending on which college they’re attending. Most colleges offer a full refund up until 31 October, says Oisin Hassan, vice president for academic affairs at the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) …” (more)
[Laoise Neylon, Dublin Inquirer, 1 November]
“High rent and Dublin-based Scholars are in the sights of Trinity’s Students Against Fees, after the group formally decided this evening to switch its focus to housing. At its public meeting this evening in the Arts Block, the group decided to address high accommodation costs …” (more)
[Róisín Power, University Times, 23 October]
“Student leaders from Ireland, the UK and Northern Ireland all today jointly condemned the detrimental impact on higher education of the uncertainty around the UK’s exit from the EU. In a joint statement at a student summit in London today …” (more)
[Matthew Murphy, University Times, 20 October]
“‘Budget 2018 should focus on improving mental health supports, and not on tax cuts’, says USI. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is calling on the Government to invest in third-level mental health counselling services by ring-fencing €3m per annum to tackle future mental health crisis on campus …” (more)
[Daniel Waugh, Union of Students in Ireland, 9 October]
“The Students Against Fees campaign group will consider expanding its campaign to include housing, in light of the housing crisis. A public, student-led meeting will be held on campus in the next few weeks appealing to students to get involved in the campaign against fees …” (more)
[Eleanor O’Mahony, University Times, 6 October]
“Carrying placards, bullhorns and chanting slogans, several thousand students marched through Dublin city ahead of rally at Merrion Square this afternoon. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is worried that the recommendations in a government report would see an increase of fees, burden young people with debt and drastically reduce access to higher education …” (more)
[TheJournal.ie, 4 October]
“Today’s March for Education organised by the USI saw a turnout saw 5,000 students from across Ireland march against the introduction of an income contingent loan scheme in Ireland. The students also called for an end to government funding cuts to higher education and student grants which they claim are undermining the quality of the Irish Higher-level education system, and driving students into poverty …” (more)
[College Tribune, 4 October]
“Students were called to defy any suggestion of an income-contingent loan scheme today, as speech after speech at the March for Education warned the government of the repercussions of rejecting publicly funded education. For thousands of students marching today, this message is nothing new …” (more)
[Dominic McGrath and Niamh Egleston, University Times, 4 October]
“Thousands of students are set to march through the capital on Wednesday to voice their opposition to student loan scheme and to call for greater public investment in cash-strapped colleges. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) says many institutes of technology, in particular, are being starved of resources yet there is no long-term plan to tackle the problem …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 4 October]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is holding a demonstration on Wednesday the 4th of October demanding Minister for Education Richard Bruton delivers a timeline on the future of higher education funding. It has been announced by the Minister for Education that there will be no long-term outline of a third-level funding model in next week’s budget …” (more)
[Daniel Waugh, Union of Students in Ireland, 3 October]
“UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU) and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) are set to put aside their differences at the upcoming March for Education on Wednesday, October 4th 2017. In advance of the March, the Tribune spoke to the Presidents of the two Unions to assess their working relationship so far this year …” (more)
[College Tribune, 26 September]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has announced they will hold a national demonstration on October 4th calling on the Government to invest in publicly-funded third-level education. The demonstration, which is expected to draw over 5,000 students from across Ireland, will call on government officials and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills to invest in the publicly-funded third level education model as outlined in the Cassells report published last year …” (more)
[Seán Dunne, Irish Times, 25 September]
“The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) today condemns a vote by Dublin City Councillors last night for applicants to submit evidence demonstrating that there is not an over-concentration of student accommodation within an area, including a map showing all such facilities, from 0.25km to 1km of a proposal in Dublin …” (more)
[Daniel Waugh, Union of Students in Ireland, 20 September]
“USI’s demand to be invited to speak – and subsequent protest – at Thursday’s Royal Irish Academy conference may seem a bit outlandish. After all, it was by and large set to be an academic discussion focused on the potential repercussions of an income-contingent loan scheme in Ireland – and not one for the various stakeholders to partake in …” (more)
[University Times, 10 September]
“Working out of a tiny corner office overlooking Dublin Port, it is hard to believe that the eight staff and 10 full-time officers of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) run an organisation that represents 350,000 students …” (more)
[Ciarán D’Arcy, Irish Times, 31 August]
“As Ireland’s accommodation shortage rages on, the national students’ union has reacted with cautious optimism to the innovative proposal of one property management company: floating accommodation on two barges in Galway …” (more)
[TheJournal.ie, 23 August]
“More than a quarter of college students will be broke once their rent is paid this year, according to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). An online survey conducted for the USI earlier this year found 29% of third-level students do not have an income exceeding €500 a month, even though 58% of students expect to pay between €251 and €500 a month in accommodation costs …” (more)
[Allison Bray, Independent, 23 August]
“Significant numbers of students are being hit with unexpected rent hikes and living in accommodation without hot water or proper heating, a study has found, writes Niall Murray. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is calling for more publicly supplied, purpose-built student accommodation and better protections for tenants in private accommodation …” (more)
[Irish Examiner, 22 August]
“Some students are ending up sleeping on friends’ couches, floors or in cars due to difficulties sourcing affordable accommodation, according to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). A survey of more than 3,500 students by USI has found that almost 40 students were unable to secure accommodation and had to rely on friends or emergency accommodation for homeless people …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien and Jack Power, Irish Times, 22 August]
“An attempt by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) to mend the historically fractious relationship with University College Dublin Students’ Union (UCDSU) and University of Limerick Students’ Union (ULSU) went unreciprocated this week, as the two unions declined an invitation to a USI-run training event …” (more)
[Dominic McGrath, University Times, 19 August]
