It’s no secret that a lot of things have become more expensive in recent years. Inflation has risen gradually in the past several months, while the cost of groceries and energy has increased by more than 10% in some instances - but perhaps the most affected are the ones who need feel it the most, the students. The future generations who are currently enrolling in university and college have seen tuition rise a ridiculous amount. Until a couple of years ago, fees in Ireland were free and all that was needed was a registration fee varying by university and tuition, which is not free in the North and the UK was capped at less than £3,500. A lot has changed since then.
Three years ago in the UK, steps were made by the gov to give universities the power to charge much more for tuition fees, anything up to £9,000 a year. In Ireland, the ongoing battle against fees not only seems to be failing but registration fees have sky rocketed in the past 5 years.
Typically students spend around 20,000 euro a year in the UK on all things college related, a worrying number for students in this country, either looking to study there or feeling the impending threat on the introduction of fees. So far, despite protests the USI in Ireland has failed to stop anything happening in this regard.
It's things like this that make Students begin to question whether or not they could continue to afford staying in higher education. This helpful website will allow you to calculate the costs.
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As apposed to 5 years ago it now costs It now costs students 19.1 per cent more to attend university according to a blog post on the City Index website. Worrying times for prospective students.
With all the debt adding up and little to no guaranteed work coming out of a degree course during these harsh times, one has to wonder... Is it all worth it? Some are wondering whether the cost of higher education actually outweighs the benefits. When high graduate unemployment levels are thrown into the mix, it makes studying for a degree seem almost pointless, but for the time being, those in higher education will be left with a tough decision to either pay up or end their studies prematurely.
Today, the state of many graduates’ finances is typically even worse than it might have been. The average student debt for 2013 now stands at a massive 39,000. For a student to loan that amount of money over the course of three years might seem absurd, but to cover other essentials as well as fees, it’s imperative.
