With the much-publicised demise of some private colleges recently, Portobello College in Dublin believes it has come up a solution to the anxiety problem that some students and parents may have about whether to attend a private college or not. The college's approach has been to set up a bonding arrangement with AIB.

"Private colleges," says Raymond Kearns, president of Portobello College, "need to take care of the concerns of parents regarding fees and the finishing of courses. In this regard, I have invested adequate funding in a bonding arrangement with AIB which is arranged so that, in the event of anything happening to me or my company (Portobello College is a family-run business), students will be able to finish their courses at the college. For the student and their parents, this means that, no matter what happens, the course of study a student selects will run right through to its completion."

The press release from the college regarding this bonding arrangement reads as follows: "In response to recommendations of the 1995 White Paper on education concerning private colleges, Portobello College has formed a trust company, Portobello College Holdings, which will ensure the completion of all third level full-time and part-time courses being taken by students at Portobello College. Portobello College Holdings has the benefit of a financial bond facility from Allied Irish Banks plc as part of this process.

"Portobello College - along among all other third level private colleges, through its trust company, Portobello College Holdings - is the only one with this most comprehensive, far reaching and enlightened bonding arrangement. It goes further than any other form of bonding for a private college, in that it guarantees the continuity of all full-time and part-time courses at the college. This, by any standards, is truly unique and will be a great source of comfort to all intending students and their parents."