“Students at University College Dublin say they are ‘outraged’ to hear the college is making €11 million more in student fees this year. Responding to the recent reports, UCD Students Union (SU) has called on management to explain where the money is going …” (more)
[Michelle McGlynn, Irish Examiner, 27 November]
“Ireland’s higher education system has been engulfed with crises for over a decade now. Students are up against countless challenges to get into and stay in college and the situation is constantly deteriorating further. Students and their struggles are not highlighted enough in the media. It is barbaric that the fourth wealthiest country in the EU somehow can’t scrounge enough money together to pay student contribution fees …” (more)
[Emma Nevin, The College View, 25 November]
“In late September, hundreds of students gathered at Spanish Arch in Galway. They were widely condemned for breaching Covid-19 regulations. While student leaders say large gatherings and house parties should not have happened, they point out that the vast majority of students are quietly giving up at least a chunk of their student years to support the battle against coronavirus – and getting little credit for it …” (more)
[Peter McGuire, Irish Times, 24 November]
“Universities risk reputational damage due to ‘extravagant’ fees being charged at a time when most learning has shifted online, a seminar organised by the Irish Council for International Students has heard. While domestic undergraduate students pay fees of up to €3,000 a year, the cost can rise to €25,000 for international students or €55,000 for medical students from abroad …” (more)
[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 17 November]
“On the morning of November 12th, 492 students of the Smurfit Business school penned a letter to the Dean of Business, Professor Anthony Brabazon, and Director of the Smurfit Business School, Professor Gerardine Doyle, demanding a reduction of fees for the current academic year …” (more)
[Nathan Young, University Observer, 13 November]
“Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements that have been made to ensure that students from Northern Ireland will continue to be treated as previously in Irish universities post Brexit as far as fees and so on are concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 12 November]
“Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the interaction he has had with UCD over the 2% to 4% increase in fees for EU and non-EU students studying graduate entry medicine; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 10 November]
“As the university campus and accommodations emptied on March 12th upon the announcement of a global pandemic and college closure, the international student population had more decisions to make than the average student – how to get home, and how to return to UCC when or if the need arose. Students from overseas make up 15.6% of the overall UCC student population …” (more)
[Maeve McTaggart, University Express, 10 November]
“Conor Anderson, president of UCD Students’ Union (UCDSU), spoke to The College Tribune this week about the fee protests, UCD’s handling of the COVID crisis, and the difficulty of carrying on the union’s work through lockdown …” (more)
[Isobel Dunne, College Tribune, 10 November]
“More than 70% of Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) students in University College, Dublin are withholding fees in protest over further fee increases and disruptions to learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fees have increased year-on-year since 2017 for such students and now stand at €16,290 for Irish students and €55,140 for non-EU students, representing an increase of €1,000 and €3,000 respectively since 2017 …” (more)
[Jade Wilson, Irish Times, 31 October]
“Trinity’s move to online learning, unhappiness with communication in releasing timetables and lack of in-person teaching has led to student unrest bubbling away in the background since summertime. At council, this dissatisfaction came to the fore with a motion passing that mandated Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) to lobby against the annual increase in fees for international students …” (more)
[Emma Taggart, University Times, 28 October]
“Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Council has passed a motion mandating the union’s President Eoin Hand and International Officer Patrick O’Mahony to lobby against annual three to five per cent fee increases for international students. The motion was proposed by a group of 10 students …” (more)
[Sárán Fogarty, University Times, 27 October]
“Graduate Entry Medicine students have called on UCD to reduce tuition fees and are demanding a freeze on future increases. A majority of the current GEM class have elected to withhold fees in protest of these increases. The tuition fees currently stand at €16,290 for Irish students, and €55,140 for non-EU students …” (more)
[Mahnoor Choudhry, College Tribune, 27 October]
“International students attending college in Ireland have told the Irish Examiner they feel like they were lured here by universities to generate profit, with many of them now stuck in Ireland unable to return home, and without the campus experience they came here for …” (more)
[Aine Kenny, Irish Examiner, 27 October]
“Some 14,000 higher-education places without fees or with reduced fees will be made available to help support workers affected by coronavirus restrictions, RTÉ News has reported. Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris is due to announce €30 million in funding to support part-time or postgraduate college places …” (more)
[Emer Moreau, University Times, 27 October]
“Holly Cairns TD, Social Democrats spokesperson for Further and Higher Education, has called on the Government to immediately address the impact of Level 5 restrictions on third level students …” (more)
[Elaine Murphy, TheCork.ie, 21 October]
“Who’d be a college student in 2020? This time last year, thousands of giddy students were getting their first taste of college life; this year, most are experiencing third level through a laptop screen …” (more)
[Irish Times, 20 October]
“Fergus O’Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional supports will be made available to college students who have paid full college fees but are advised to remain home under Covid-19 guidelines; if supports will be made available for students who have paid accommodation fees up front; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 15 October]
“The interruption of lectures twinned with a sharp decline in international students has precipitated a cash flow problem for the majority of Irish universities, Trinity not least among them. With Queen’s College Belfast chartering literal planes to fly in foreign students and societies seeing corporate sponsorship dry up, the business model by which Irish universities have coasted on appears to be hitting a fork in the road …” (more)
[Ciaran Brennan, The Burkean, 18 October]
“Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details on the process a person (details supplied) could follow; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)
[Dáil written answers, 14 October]
