February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Andrew Bushe
DUBLIN — Irish parents facing a double whammy of a huge currency and fees bill for colleges and universities in Britain has resulted in a sharp drop in the number of applications to third-level courses throughout the UK.
The total cost of a student stydying for a degree in the UK is now almost £20,000 for the three years.
As a result, new figures show there will be more stay-at-home students from the Republic next year.
There have drops of about 13 percent in applications from the Republic to third-level institutions in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Applicants are down from the 1999 figure of 11,745 to 10,257 for next year, according to an analysis of the figures by the British Universities and College Admissions Service.
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Parents have to pay fees in the UK colleges while those at home are free.
They will also be hit by a sterling-punt exchange differential that will increase the cost of fees, accommodation, travel and living expenses by about 20 percent at present rates.
A benefit of staying at home for cash-strapped students is that they will find it easier to get part-time work in the jobs-starved Celtic Tiger economy.