Students facing delay in third-level maintenance grants
Third-level students from poorer backgrounds may be forced to pay the €800 college registration fee this year due to delays in their maintenance grants.
The Departments of Finance and Education have so far failed to set the income level for the grants and students cannot apply until agreement is reached.
Last year, the final agreement was reached by mid-June.
The Union of Students of Ireland (USI) says this year's delay will add an extra financial burden on already hard-pressed students, whom it says will have to borrow money just to register for their courses.
“At this time last year grant schemes were agreed, published and applications being processed,” said USI president Colm Hamrogue today. “Before thousands of students start applying for the grant we are already nearly a month behind.
“Students qualifying for the grant get the registration fee paid by their local authority. If the local authority is delayed in processing their application the poorest students will be forced to pay up front fees of nearly €800, or be refused a student card, denying them access to essential college facilities like libraries and computer rooms.
“USI believes financial stress and inability to pay may dramatically increase the drop out rate for the class of 2006/07.
“We urge minister Hanafin to step in to avert this looming crisis.”
