Lack of part-time work to hit students

A SHORTAGE of part-time work may be affecting students' ability to put themselves through college, despite a fall in rent and other costs. A 17% fall in rents in the past year has helped reduce the overall costs for those who are at college away from home by almost 8%, according to a survey for Dublin Institute of Technology. It shows that students will also benefit from the continuing drop in food prices of around 26% in the year to June, bringing the likely cost of a year in college to just under €7,800.

But, with public transport costs up 13% in a year and college registration charges up €600 to €1,500 for anybody who doesn't qualify for a grant, many will feel the pinch during the coming college year.

"On the positive side, the cost of rent, food and utility bills have decreased significantly. Unfortunately, this gain will be wiped out for those students who have to pay the €1,500 student service charge," said DIT Campus Life manager Brian Gormley.

"Feedback from our students is that nearly half of them have been unable to obtain summer work so they won't have money saved, and part-time work will be more difficult to obtain," he said.

Applications for grants are expected to rise significantly this year, as thousands more students may be eligible for support because of falling incomes due to wage cuts or unemployment.

Central Statistics Office data shows that third level education costs have risen 11% in the past two years, but Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe has frozen grant rates for the next year at the same level as in 2008 and 2007. All grant recipients also have their registration fee paid for them, and students from households with an income under €51,380 (or higher if there are more than four children) will also be exempt from the €1,500 charge.

With accommodation costs having the biggest impact on budgets for students at college away from home, Mr Gormley advised anybody at college or who has been offered a place to begin looking for good-value accommodation as soon as possible.