Student Finance
Fees and Course Costs
If you are thinking of going to college on a full-time or part-time basis, it is a good idea to think through the financial issues involved. The award-winning www.studentfinance.ie is a good source of information on the sources of financial support for college.
Below is a short summary of the education-related costs you will typically encounter.
Course Fees
Most full-time higher education courses in Ireland have no tuition costs as the fees are paid by the State under the Free Fees Initiative. www.studentfinance.ie provides information on course fees and what courses are eligible. Free fees does not apply to tuition fees for repeat years.
There is, however, a registration fee which students are required to pay annually. The amount varies, depending on whether you are full-time or part-time and at what level you are studying. The registration fee for full-time undergraduates was €1,500 in 2009. Students who are approved for a maintenance grant have their registration fee paid as part of their grant.
There is a course fee for full-time postgraduate courses, and the amount varies depending on the course. If you are eligible for a maintenance grant, these fees may be covered.
In general, if you enrol on a undergraduate or postgraduate part-time course, you will be charged a course fee, which again varies depending on the course. Some students are supported by their employer, who will provide full or part-financial assistance. There is also tax relief on part-time higher education tuition fees. Further information on this is available here.
All higher education colleges will have details of the tuition fees (where applicable) on their websites.
If you are required to repeat an examination, you may be charged a fee by your college.
Textbooks
College libraries have course-related textbooks available for short-term and longer-term loan, however you may need to budget for your own copies of key textbooks. In general, course personnel will prepare and distribute a reading list for each subject area at the beginning of the term or semester, allowing students to identify essential textbooks that they may ultimately need to purchase.
Other Education-related Costs
Courses with a ‘hands-on’ or practical element in the curriculum may require students to have specific equipment. For example, it is very common for students on courses with laboratory work to have their own protective clothing. Details of the cost of textbooks or other course-related items or materials (if applicable) may not be available on the course pages of college websites; if you need to get more of an idea in advance of what such costs will be for your chosen courses, get in touch with course staff. Do you know any current students already on the courses you are interested in? They are another good source of information.