“It will come as yet another hammer blow for the middle classes. Students or their parents could be facing average total tuition bills of €28,000 to complete a university degree when the Government reintroduces fees next year. In the case of more scientific courses, such as medicine and dentistry, the total tuition fee for a degree could be much greater at over €40,000. The hit will come after an era in which many parents failed to save for the expenses of third level, because of free fees. Many families are unprepared for the charges. Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe has yet to announce details of how students will pay for third-level education. But he indicated last week that new charges will come into effect next year …” (more)
[Independent, 25 March]