Ninth Level Ireland

“International student enrolments in United States universities declined by 16% in autumn 2020 and drops in new student enrolments were more than twice as steep, at 43%, according to data from a snapshot survey designed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US higher education. A drop was expected, and researchers anticipate a surge in enrolments after the pandemic has ended, fuelled by pent-up demand and aggressive ongoing recruitment of international students …” (more)

[Mary Beth Marklein, University World News, 16 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]

“A company which recruited students from Saudi Arabia for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is suing the college in the High Court over the level of fees paid by the students. The Nahj Company for Services is in dispute with the college over whether the €16,000 fee for participation in the medical commencement programme was inclusive or exclusive of a €5,000 commission said to be payable to the recruiting company …” (more)

[Mary Carolan, Irish Times, 13 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]

“Concerns about exams, accommodation and travel during the Christmas period have been highlighted by the first responses recorded in a survey of international students on challenges posed by Covid-19 regulations. Last week, international students were alerted to the release of a virtual, anonymous student survey in order to determine the status and response of international students amidst Level 5 restrictions …” (more)

[Audrey Brown, Trinity News, 8 November]

“The number of non-EU applications to Trinity dropped this year, after climbing by 70% between 2017 and 2019. Some 9,034 international students applied for a place in Trinity this year, down from 9,453 in 2019, according to figures released to The University Times under the Freedom of Information Act. There were 6,869 such applications in 2018, and 5,469 in 2017 …” (more)

[Emer Moreau, University Times, 7 November]

“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]

“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]

“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]

“Outgoing Erasmus students from DCU are unable to travel abroad this year due to the ever changing coronavirus pandemic. However, around 200 incoming international students arrived in Dublin to begin their fourteen-day quarantine …” (more)

[Róisín Cullen, The College View, 14 October]

“International students from countries outside of the European Economic Area will have to pay more than they currently pay for their mandatory private health insurance policies. Because of a Court of Appeal decision that came into effect this week, industry estimates suggest that some students will end up paying twice of four times what they currently pay …” (more)

[Ian Curran, TheJournal.ie, 10 October]

“NUI Galway have today announced the cancellation of all planned Erasmus, International student exchanges and placement programmes for students in semester two. In an email from Deputy President and Registrar Pól Ó Dochartaigh sent to all registered students of the University, it was announced that …” (more)

[Paddy Henry, SIN, 9 October]

“Students at NUI Galway living off-campus have voiced their concerns over a lack of support from the University during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Despite free transport being provided by the University directly from Dublin Airport to Galway, as well as rooms in Goldcrest and Corrib Village being offered for the mandatory two-week quarantine, students have experienced difficulties in areas from receiving course information to lack of mandatory testing upon their arrival in Galway …” (more)

[Caoimhe Killeen, SIN, 7 October]

“Queen’s University Belfast for the second time in two weeks has chartered a Qatar Airways plane to bring hundreds of Chinese students to Belfast. On Saturday about 400 new and returning Queen’s University students were flown into Northern Ireland from Beijing by Boeing 777 to begin the college term. Two weeks previously the university chartered a flight to bring in about 370 Chinese students …” (more)

[Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times, 4 October]

“International students in Irish third-level institutions feel they are not getting value for money due to current Covid-19 restrictions on colleges. Since the resumption of classes over the past few weeks, Irish third-level institutes have been told to operate under Level Three restrictions of the Government’s Living with Covid plan …” (more)

[Muireann Duffy, BreakingNews.ie, 3 October]

“International students have reported facing loneliness and boredom, as well as frustration at ‘vastly overpriced’ meals provided by Trinity, after quarantining in student accommodation for two weeks before starting classes …” (more)

[Audrey Brown, Trinity News, 29 September]

“Students who have paid for English languages classes but must return to online learning in light of the latest restrictions should be entitled to a partial refund on their fees, the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) has said …” (more)

[Sorcha Pollak, Irish Times, 23 September]

“Queen’s University, Belfast has brought hundreds of students to Northern Ireland direct from China on a chartered jumbo jet. The Boeing 777 aircraft, operated by Qatar Airways and carrying the 369 new and returning students, landed at Belfast International Airport from Beijing on Saturday …” (more)

[Lauren Harte, Belfast Telegraph, 21 September]

“Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of overseas students that have enrolled in Irish universities for the autumn term; the provisions in place to ensure that students coming from abroad adhere to the two-week self-isolation period; the person or body responsible for overseeing these provisions and monitoring students’ compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 8 September]