Like the price of Dublin houses, the costs of third-level education just keeps rising. According to recent figures from DCU, living away from home and attending college will cost you over £5,000. If you live at home as a student it will cost you about £3,000.
These figures seem startling in an era without fees. But just because undergraduates no longer pay fees does not mean other costs are not punitive.
For example, DCU estimates students spend on average almost £40 a month on books, but this figure is on the low side for many, including those on humanities courses who have to buy bundles of books every month.
The cost of renting accommodation also imposes a heavy burden. Rents for school-leavers tend to range between £200 and £300 a month, although the costs rise further in certain parts of Dublin.
Abolition of fees
Introduced in 1994 at a cost of £50 million, the abolition of undergraduate tuition fees was declared in some quarters to be as important as free secondary education.
But while families with two or three children at third level saw their burden eased, thousands of other students were still not covered by its provisions.
So rather than outline who is covered, it is more useful to outline who is not. This includes postgraduates, people undertaking a second undergraduate course, people repeating a year, students in private colleges and people doing parttime or modular courses.
Put these groups together and thousands of students are still paying fees. For those doing postgraduate courses the fees can run to several thousand pounds.
If you are doing the Leaving Certificate this year, you will not be faced with such bills, but tread carefully. The free lunch can end brusquely.
For example, if you start an undergraduate course but decide during the year to leave and apply to transfer into something else for the next academic year, you will have to pay full fees when you begin your new course.
If you drop out of the original course before January 31st you will only be charged a half-fee the next year. So be aware of the financial penalties when transferring from one course to another.
The vast majority of undergraduate courses are covered by the no-fees initiative, but there are exceptions. One is preliminary engineering (DT 120) at DIT Bolton Street, which cost almost £1,000 last year; and Music Foundation (DT 604) at DIT Rathmines, which charges similar fees.
So if you avoid these exceptions are you on easy street? Not really. Just because you are not charged tuition fees does not mean you don't have to pay for other things.
The colleges normally impose a student charge each year (last year it was £292 in most institutions) to fund services such as exams and registration, which are not covered by the money given to colleges by the Higher Education Authority.
Last year the universities and DIT also imposed a separate £30 student levy to be paid when you return your CAO offer. This goes towards student facilities like bars and recreation centres. The rate has not been set for this year.
Returning emigrants need to be careful about their entitlements. To qualify for no fees you need to be living in the EU for at least three of the last five years.
This rules out people who have returned from the US, for instance. Check with the Department of Education if you need clarification on this point.
The thousands of students attending private colleges also have to pay fees. Portobello College in Dublin is currently taking a High Court case against the Department over the issue, claiming it is unfair to ask students at these colleges to pay fees. The case has yet to receive a full hearing and is unlikely to effect this year's school-leavers.
Fees for private colleges can be very high, with business courses costing between £2,500 and £3,000.
The only concession for such students is that they get tax relief at the standard rate on the fees paid. Check with the Revenue Commissioners to see if the college you are planning to attend is covered.
Married people can claim tax relief for fees paid by or on behalf of their spouses. Tax relief for private college fees can only be claimed up to a ceiling of £2,500.
Those doing part-time courses in any college are also allowed tax relief at the standard rate. The courses have to be at least two years in duration and if you already hold a certificate, diploma or degree you cannot claim. The £2,500 ceiling is in place for part-time courses, too.
Grants
The other main financial concern for students is grants. According to the Department of Education, about 40 per cent of third-level students currently qualify for such assistance.
The Higher Education Grant scheme is means-tested and administered by your local authority. Your course needs to be at least two years in duration to qualify.
You also need to have a "family income" below £20,200 if there are fewer than four dependent children in the family. The threshold rises as the number of dependent children increases.
There are two rates of grant. For those living at home, £710 is available. For those living away from home, £1,775 is available. You should apply for the grant as soon as you complete your Leaving Cert.
The Union of Students in Ireland says these figures are considerably below the real cost of going to college.
The union says even the most frugal of students cannot survive on this level of finance. What tends to happen in practice, as a result, is that parents have to fork out to make up the difference.
Grants funded by the European Social Fund are also available on approved full-time PLC courses. Some courses in institutes of technology are also eligible as part of this scheme.
Open Day
The National College of Ireland is holding an open day on Wednesday, January 24th, between 3 and 6 p.m. at Sandford Road, Ranelagh, Co Dublin.