PLC students are still outside the net of higher education grants. They still pay fees, albeit generally much lower than third-level equivalents. The Department of Education does not classify PLC courses as third-level courses.
"Colleges involved in PLC courses have for a long time been supportive of the view that PLC students should get maintenance grants," says Philip McHugh, principal of Colaiste Dhulaigh in Coolock, Dublin. "The major problem would be the normal one in that when you're short of money you have to go doing work to get by. It's a particular problem for students from the country who take flats."
Proper status has not been accorded to PLCs for financial rather than educational reasons, McHugh believes. Ongoing discussions about educational structures may lead to greater recognition for PLC courses. For the present, despite calls from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, politicians and representatives of a wide cross-section of education bodies, PLC students are still waiting for some form of financial support from Government.