Applying for a third-level course in a college in Britain or Northern Ireland can make sense. If you have your heart set on a high points course here at home but, come the results, find yourself short a few Leaving Certificate points, an offer from a British college could be just what you need. Many students, too, find that because of the wide range of courses on offer there, they're better able to find a course that particularly suits their needs.
Students report being particularly appreciative of the space for a personal statement on the UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admission Service) application form. This, they say, gives them an opportunity to sell themselves and highlight their achievements and abilities. In British colleges, they say, admission is not based on exam results alone.
"At the University of Wales Institute we are looking for students who are suited to the courses, and courses which suit the students," explains Mike Wilson, who is European officer, international marketing at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.
"Students may have the right qualifications but do they have motivation and aptitude? Have they benefited from work experience and do they show initiative outside the normal academic arena?" There are currently up to 15,000 Irish students studying in Britain at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Applications to British colleges were running at 11,000 per annum in 1997, but since the introduction of means-tested tuition fees, applications have declined. In 1998, almost 3,000 students from the Republic accepted degree and HND courses in the British system. Although the introduction of fees has had a negative effect on applications from the Republic, many students regard the means-tested fees (top rate £1,025 this year) as being only a little more than the student services charges and levies in Irish colleges. This year these costs in TCD, for example, are running at £328.
Students going to college in Britain are eligible to apply for maintenance grants in the normal way. When choosing a course, investigate thoroughly. "Make sure that the course is really what you want, in a place you want to be," Wilson advises. If students have the time and the money, he says, it's worth visiting colleges to check them out and ensure they're what you want. When choosing a university in Britain, Steve Kendall suggests that students ask themselves whether or not they want to have easy access to home. If you want to get home regularly or have the family visit you in college, you would be wise to opt for a location with good transport links to home. Cardiff, Liverpool, Luton and Birmingham, for example, are among British cities with direct airlinks to Dublin.
When it comes to accommodation, many colleges in Britain give students from the Republic priority. Luton University, for example, guarantees to find a place in university-managed accommodation for every new student, according to Steve Kendall, the university's head of admission. "New students should avoid being isolated," he advises.
Accommodation costs vary but as a rule of thumb, it's generally less expensive in the north than it is in the south of the England. In Luton, you can expect to pay around £60 sterling per week for accommodation, while at St Helen's College, Merseyside, campus and private accommodation costs around £40 sterling per week.
The University of Paisley in Scotland also gives first years accommodation priority, but does not guarantee places. Here, halls of residence all self catered cost between £27 and £38 sterling per week. Flats owned by the university cost around the same price, while private flats in the town vary from £37 to £55 sterling. Students also need to decide whether they want to go to college in a town or to a more self-sufficient campus in a more isolated spot. St Helen's College, for example, is near Liverpool: a 30-minute free bus ride away. The college, which boasts its own brewery, offers students free Internet access.
St Helens, with a total student population of 20,000, specialises in engineering and robotics programmes based around a new state-of-the-art technology centre, and media and design they have their own television station and radio station with a community licence. Irish students, though, are particularly interested in arts and media, computing, early childhood and social-care studies and sports studies, the college says.
Hope University College, Liverpool, is a teacher training college that has grown to include a range of other courses in the last 20 years. The bachelor of education programme apart, their courses include American studies, health and physical recreation, theology, European studies and design. When it comes to third level colleges, size does matter. Some people, particularly those who have attended small schools or who live in quiet rural villages can find huge sprawling campuses intimidating. According to the University of Paisley, undergraduates appreciate its small campus. There are up to 10,000 students in the college, including about 8,000 undergraduates.
Although no hard figures are available, a spokesperson for the university confirms that these figures include a considerable number of students from the Republic. There's no doubt that in many college campuses in Britain, students from the Republic are making a huge impact. Being Irish can be a huge advantage.
"People love the Irish accent and the friendliness of the Irish," notes Eleanor McGovern from Newport, Co Mayo, and a recent graduate of the University of Sheffield: "Irish students thrive in Britain. They do very well and get good degrees."
Many universities particularly in Scotland now boast Gaelic teams and even local students are being persuaded to play. The recent establishment there of the Irish Students Association highlights the fact that students from the Republic are now a thriving force on British campuses.
