More than 1,000 third-level students are forced to live in hostels during college term, according to new statistics.
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) figures for 2000/01 show that 1,071 students out of a population of almost 70,000 did so. The findings are likely to bolster the claims of student unions who say the rising costs of accommodation are forcing students out of traditional options such as flats.
Over 400 students at the teacher training college Mary Immaculate College in Limerick are listed as residing in hostels, with 204 students from the University of Limerick also listed as staying at hostels.
Almost 200 hostel residents were recorded as attending Trinity College.
The statistics cover a range of third-level accommodation. The most popular option remains living with parents, with over 28,000 doing so. Almost 22,000 were living in flats, with 7,733 living in lodgings. The number living in on-campus accommodation was 4,253.