Student finance
Accommodation and Living Costs
If you need to rent accommodation in order to attend your chosen course, this will take up a big part of your overall annual budget.The DAFT market report for Quarter 3, 2009 shows that average monthly rents vary depending on the location— from €594 per month for properties in Ulster, to €1,786 per month in Dublin 4 (in both cases for a 3-bed house). These figures are not exclusively for student accommodation, so you could expect to pay less per month as they include accommodation targeted at professional or working people. In addition to rent, light, heat and other expenses may add to your costs.
Some tips on looking for accommodation are available here.
Some tax relief is generally available to people paying for private rented accommodation. This may be of benefit to students if they earn an income through part-time work or a summer job. Further information on private rent relief is available here.
Living Costs
General living costs will include the following:
• Travelling to and from college
• Food/refreshments/snacks
• Socialising
• Cultural events and entertainment
• Clubs and Societies
It is over these expenses that you will have the most control. Generally speaking, the more time you spend on campus and the more activities – social, cultural, sporting etc. – you are involved in, the greater your expenditure in college will be.